| Security Council Resolutions |
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11 June 2018
S/RES/2420
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This was a resolution renewing the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya bound to or from the country that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo.
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5 October 2017
S/RES/2380
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This renewed the authorisation for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to suspect are being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking.
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14 September 2017
S/RES/2376
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This extended UNSMILs mandate until 15 September 2018.
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29 June 2017
S/RES/2362
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This was a resolution renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and the measures regarding attempts to illicitly export oil from Libya.
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26 February 2011
S/RES/1970
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This resolution referred the situation in Libya to the ICC, imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions (assets freeze and travel ban) and established a sanctions committee.
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| Security Council Presidential Statements |
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6 June 2018
S/PRST/2018/11
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This was a presidential statement welcoming the momentum generated by the international conference on Libya in Paris.
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| Secretary-Generals Reports |
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11 May 2018
S/2018/451
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This was the Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 2357.
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7 May 2018
S/2018/429
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This was the Secretary-Generals latest report on UNSMIL.
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| Security Council Meeting Records |
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16 July 2018
S/PV.8312
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This was a briefing by Special Representative and head of UNSMIL Ghassan Salame and chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden).
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9 May 2018
S/PV.8250
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This was the semi-annual briefing by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on recent developments concerning cases in Libya.
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| Sanctions Committee Documents |
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7 June 2018
SC/13371
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This was a press release by the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee regarding the adding of six individuals to the sanctions list.
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Overview
The US has the presidency in September. At press time, the intention appears to be to hold all Council meetings in public, with consultations only scheduled for the adoption of the programme of work for the month. Although no meetings are currently foreseen for the last week of September, the US could still choose the presence of the worlds top officials in New York to schedule a high-level meeting in the Council.
The US has two signature events: on peacekeeping, and on corruption and conflict. The meeting on corruption will include a briefing by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and a representative from civil society. The Council will also receive the first comprehensive annual briefing on the reform of UN peacekeeping, requested by resolution 2378 in September 2017.
There are a number of Latin American issues on the programme this month. The Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. There will be a briefing on the situation in Haiti following the second report on the implementation of resolution 2410 that extended the mandate of MINUJUSTH in Haiti. It seems the US is also interested in holding a meeting on the current unrest in Nicaragua, but some members may oppose having this issue discussed by the Council.
Early in the month Council members expect to receive briefings on Libya by Special Representative and head of UNSMIL Ghassan Salame and the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden). An adoption to renew UNSMIL is scheduled for mid-September.
Other African issues this month include:
Somalia, on the activities of UNSOM;
Sudan, on the activities of UNISFA in Abyei; and
South Sudan, on the activities of UNMISS.
Regarding Middle East issues, Council members expect to receive the regular briefing on chemical weapons and a combined briefing on political and humanitarian developments in Syria. There will also be the regular monthly briefing on Israel/Palestine.
Regarding Asian issues, the Council will hold its quarterly debate on UNAMA in Afghanistan with Special Representative and head of UNAMA Tadamichi Yamamoto expected to brief.
PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING
Peacekeeping Operations
Expected Council Action
In September, the Security Council will hold a debate on peacekeeping reform. As requested in resolution 2378, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to deliver the first comprehensive annual briefing on the reform of UN peacekeeping.
Key Recent Developments
The briefing will take place against the backdrop of the recent push to strengthen UN peace operations, marked by the 2015 report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) and by the Secretary-Generals reform initiatives regarding the UNs peace and security architecture.
Since 2017, the US, which is the largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping assessed budget, has become more assertive in its efforts to reduce the cost of UN peace operations. During its presidency in April 2017, the US organised a briefing on reviewing peacekeeping operations with Guterres as the main speaker. During the meeting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley laid out four principles for the review of peacekeeping operations with the stated aim of modifying mission mandates to be more achievable while also reducing their cost:
missions must support political solutions;
host countries must cooperate;
peacekeeping mandates must be realistic and achievable; and
there needs to be a clear exit strategy.
Since then, several Council membersincluding China, Egypt, France, Italy, Poland and the UKhave organised thematic briefings and open debates on specific aspects of peacekeeping, illustrating the renewed interest in this issue.
On 20 September 2017 the Council held a high-level open debate organised by Ethiopia titled Reform of UN peacekeeping: implementation and follow-up. Guterres and Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, briefed the Council, along with Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and chair of the HIPPO. Many participants spoke at the head of state or head of government level. At the meeting, the Council adopted resolution 2378, which was drafted by Ethiopia. The resolution stressed that the primacy of politics should be the hallmark of the UNs approach to resolving conflict and reaffirmed the Councils determination to articulate clearer priorities when evaluating, mandating and reviewing peacekeeping operations. The resolution also underscored the need to enhance the overall effectiveness and efficiency of UN peacekeeping by improving mission planning, increasing the number of relevant capabilities, and reinforcing peacekeeping performance through training and the fulfilment of outstanding pledges. The resolution requested the Secretary-General to provide an annual comprehensive briefing to the Council on the reform of UN peacekeeping.
The Netherlands organised an open debate focusing on Collective action to improve UN peacekeeping operations on 28 March. The prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, chaired the meeting, and the Council was briefed by Guterres, Mahamat, and Fatimata Toure, the director of a Malian NGO. At the meeting, Guterres highlighted the urgent need for a quantum leap in collective engagement and announced the launch of Action for Peacekeeping (A4P), an initiative aimed at renewing political commitment to peacekeeping operations.
A 14 May presidential statement, drafted by the Netherlands as a follow-up to the open debate held during the countrys presidency in March, welcomed and supported the Secretary-Generals commitment to continue to take steps to improve UN peacekeeping. In particular, the presidential statement noted the intention of the Secretary-General, in consultation with all stakeholders, to develop a set of mutually agreed commitments to adapt peacekeeping operations to todays complex and high-risk environments.
As part of this exercise, in May the Secretariat asked ten member states to lead broad consultations on five priority areas for the A4P agenda: politics (Cote dIvoire and the UK), partnerships (Ethiopia and France), performance (the Netherlands and Rwanda), people (Bangladesh and Uruguay) and peacebuilding (Brazil and Indonesia). Once consultations were concluded, the Secretariat engaged member states to draw up a Declaration of Shared Commitments that their leaders could endorse during the upcoming high-level debate of the General Assembly. The Council meeting on peacekeeping is expected to be an opportunity for Guterres to take stock of what has been achieved in the process so far and present ideas for following up the commitments expressed in the declaration.
One of the issues likely to be a focus of the briefing is the performance of those involved in peacekeeping operations. Discussions about performance have been a source of contention in the Council and among the wider membership. Some Council members have prioritised increased accountability for under-performance while some troop- and police-contributing countries (TCCs and PCCs) have argued for broadening the focus of performance discussions beyond uniformed personnel. They have underlined that performance cannot be delinked from other factors related to mandate implementation including the roles of the Security Council and the UN Secretariat, as well as the role of mission leadership. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34) and the Council have expressed support for the development of a comprehensive and integrated performance policy framework that promotes full and effective mandate implementation and identifies clear performance standards for evaluating all UN civilian and uniformed personnel working in and supporting peacekeeping operations. The 14 May presidential statement recognised that effective mandate implementation is contingent upon several critical factors, including well-defined, realistic and achievable mandates; political will, leadership, performance and accountability at all levels; adequate resources; policy, planning and operational guidelines; and training and availability of equipment.
Another issue likely to feature in the meeting is the prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers. This has been a priority for Guterres, who at the beginning of his term established a high-level task force to develop a system-wide response that prioritises prevention, the protection of the rights of the victims, and the promotion of accountability. Despite the widespread condemnation among member states of incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse, some TCCs and PCCs have challenged the focus on this issue as unfairly targeting those member states that contribute troops and police. The Secretary-General has proposed a voluntary compact for all member states that support UN operations to demonstrate joint commitment and mutual responsibility to prevent and address sexual exploitation and abuse, secure accountability and provide meaningful support to victims. By 23 July, 96 member states had signed the voluntary compact or were processing it for signature.
Finally, the meeting may also discuss the recent round of reviews of peacekeeping operations. Some of these were requested by the Council, often at the initiative of the US; the Secretariat subsequently began conducting strategic reviews ahead of mandate renewals and giving clearer indications of how mandates can be prioritised. The recent renewal of the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali, however, showed that the Secretariat continues to experience pressure from member states regarding the outcome of these reviews.
Issues and Options
In the context of peace operations, the Councils own decision-making processes could be tweaked to bring out collective thinking that is more strategic. Among other possibilities, the Council could start any mandating process by seeking greater clarity around the political objectives before they negotiate draft language; by reviewing and modifying mandates when needs on the ground shift, rather than in strict conformity with mandate cycles; by encouraging the emergence of groups of friends on particular situations on its agenda; and by agreeing to compacts with host governments. The Council could use its Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations to draw lessons on mandate design and monitoring of mission implementation, and agreement on strategic objectives. The working group could submit recommendations for the Councils consideration after engaging with a broad range of actors, including Secretariat officials, TCCs and PCCs.
Council and Wider Dynamics
A recurrent element in the discussions about peace operations is the gap between those who determine the mandates of peace operations and carry their financial burden, and those who deploy troops and police to implement them. Pressure from the US and others to reduce the peacekeeping budget has featured prominently in mandate renewal discussions over the last year, as it has in the recent negotiations in the Fifth Committee. One of the mechanisms available to bridge this gaptriangular consultations between the Council, the Secretariat and TCCs and PCCshas been criticised for not serving this purpose.
During negotiations on the 14 May presidential statement, some Council members pushed back against language that they considered too prescriptive regarding peacekeeping reform, displaying the tensions between the Council and the C34. The consultation process regarding the Declaration of Shared Commitments has similarly illustrated the challenges of finding a common denominator of acceptable commitments for the UN membership regarding peacekeeping operations.
UN DOCUMENTS ON PEACEKEEPING
AFRICA
Somalia
Expected Council Action
In September, the Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Michael Keating, will brief the Council, followed by consultations. The mandate of UNSOM expires on 27 March 2019.
A joint operational readiness assessment of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is due on 15 September. The authorisation of AMISOM expires on 31 May 2019.
Key Recent Developments
The armed group Al-Shabaab remains highly active. On 23 July, the group claimed to have killed 27 Somali soldiers in an attack on an army base 50 kilometres from Kismayu. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for two car bombs that killed six people on 5 August at separate locations in Somalia. At least nine were killed and several others wounded on 13 August in clashes between Al-Shabaab and local fighters in Juba region when the group attacked local farmers. On 16 August, Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed replaced key security officials, including appointing a new army chief and deputy director of the national intelligence agency, a move authorities said is part of a new strategy to quell the wave of recent attacks.
In a 5 July letter to the president of the Security Council, the Secretary-General conveyed the findings of a comprehensive assessment of AMISOM conducted jointly with the AU, requested by resolution 2372. This assessment echoed views previously expressed by the AMISOM troop-contributing countries (TCCs), namely that Somali security forces have deficiencies in capacity and in command and control. The assessment concluded that a premature handover of security responsibilities would be risky, and that the continued presence of AMISOM is necessary during the transition as Somalia builds the capability of its security forces and institutions and prepares for elections in 2020-2021. These conclusions were similar to those of the December 2017 operational readiness assessment of the Somali security forces prepared by Somalia at the request of the Council.
On 30 July, the Council adopted resolution 2431 renewing the authorisation of AMISOM until 31 May 2019 and determining that troop levels will be reduced to 20,626 by 28 February 2019, down from the current 21,626, and that the mission will have a minimum of 1,040 police personnel. The reductions were in line with the Secretary-Generals recommendation that the drawdown (initially scheduled for 30 October 2018, under resolution 2372) be postponed in light of the conclusions of the joint assessment. The resolution stated that the Council regretted the need for delay in drawing down the level of uniformed AMISOM personnel, and stressed that there should be no further delay in this regard beyond 28 February 2019. The new deadline should allow the forthcoming joint AU-UN operational readiness assessment of AMISOM, as well as the recent joint comprehensive assessment of AMISOM, to feed into the revised AU concept of operations for AMISOM, which is expected by 1 November. Detailed planning for the first phase of the Somali transition plan for its security forces to take over responsibilities from AMISOM is also expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The resolution stressed the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for AU-led peace support operations authorised by the Council, repeating language from previous resolutions, and encouraged the Secretary-General, AU and partners to continue to explore arrangements to establish secure future funding for AMISOM. Though some Council members are open to using assessed contributions to fund AMISOM, the US continues to oppose the use of such contributions for a non-UN mission. Others have expressed concerns over AMISOMs human rights record in this context.
On the political front, the UN, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), AMISOM, the EU, the AU, the UK and the US issued a joint statement on 8 August, voicing concern over delays in the resolution of Somalias long-standing political crisis and urging Somalia to move more swiftly on political reforms. The statement came as Somalia struggled to recover from a crisis that was ignited when a recent parliamentary no-confidence vote almost turned violent, eventually resulting in the ouster of Somalias then prime minister. (The standoff ended peacefully after AMISOM intervened to encourage the sides to engage in dialogue.) Since then, the Parliament has confirmed Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as the countrys new prime minister.
On 9 July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace agreement in Asmara, ending a 20-year conflict. They restored diplomatic relations and agreed to open embassies and resume flight services. In addition, Ethiopia will use port facilities in Eritrea. In a visit to Ethiopia the same day, the Secretary-General said that the agreement could lead to the removal of UN sanctions on Eritrea. On 23 July, Ambassador Tekeda Alemu (Ethiopia) updated Council members on the recent developments under any other business. Ethiopia has taken the position that sanctions on Eritrea should be lifted.
Welcoming these recent developments in a letter transmitted to the Secretary-General on 11 July, Djibouti referred to resolutions 1862 and 1907 of 2009, which called on Eritrea to withdraw its forces to their previous positions from an area disputed with Djibouti, the Ras Doumeira peninsula and adjacent territory, and to engage in the peaceful settlement of the dispute (resolution 1907 imposes sanctions for obstructing the implementation of resolution 1862 concerning Djibouti). The letter further noted that an unsuccessful Qatari mediation effort ended on 13 June 2017, and all Qatari observer forces deployed since 2010 have left. Djibouti called on the Secretary-General, in close collaboration with the Security Council, to use his good offices to facilitate an agreement between the parties on a particular method of dispute settlement, preferably adjudication or arbitration.
On 30 July, the presidents of Eritrea and Somalia announced that the two countries would establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors after years of animosity. The two also called for the lifting of sanctions on Eritrea.
Sanctions-Related Developments
On 20 July, Keating briefed the 751/1907 Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee. On 30 July, the chair of the sanctions committee, Ambassador Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan), briefed the Council on the work of the committee, followed by consultations. Umarov updated the Council on his 4-10 May visit to Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, during which he was accompanied by representatives from Ethiopia, Kuwait, the Netherlands and Sweden. The delegation was unable to visit Eritrea, which has continuously refused to cooperate with the committee. During this meeting, the representative of Djibouti said that as long as Eritrea refuses to comply with the sanctions regime, the sanctions must remain in place.
Human Rights-Related Developments
On 13 August, UNSOM and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a joint report detailing human rights violations and abuses by state security forces, including the police and intelligence agencies, and non-state actors, among them Al-Shabaab, that were committed before, during and after the parliamentary and presidential elections in late 2016 and early 2017. According to the report, 13 clan elders and two electoral delegates were killed between August 2016 and the presidential election on 8 February 2017. Violent attacks on people involved in the election process continued after this with the killing of 29 clan elders and electoral delegates, including three women. In addition, journalists, human rights defenders and political leaders were subjected to attacks, intimidation and other forms of harassment and interference. The report concluded that insecurity, weak justice institutions, and an insufficient human rights protection system contributed to the lack of accountability for human rights violations throughout Somalia and called for prompt, independent and impartial investigations into human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the electoral process. The Human Rights Council will hold an interactive dialogue with the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia and consider his report (A/HRC/39/72) during its 39th session in September.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue is maintaining AMISOMs capabilities until the Somali security forces can progressively take the lead in providing security and ensuring that AMISOM has the means to assist Somali security forces to achieve this goal.
After the postponement of troop reductions to 28 February 2019, a priority for the Council is to continue to monitor the situation and the readiness of the Somali security forces in order to assess whether the drawdown timeline remains appropriate.
Closely related is the continued need to secure predictable and sustainable funding for AMISOM and Somali security institutions throughout this process, as this subject was not addressed in resolution 2431 and remains a contentious issue among Council members.
Council members will consider the impact of the recent positive regional developments on the sanctions regime, particularly as it is scheduled to review the regime and renew some of its elements by 15 November.
Council Dynamics
Council members are united in supporting state-building and in their support for AMISOM and UNSOM. The negotiations over resolution 2431, however, exposed a divergence in views among Council members on some important issues.
During the negotiations over resolution 2431, France and the US made clear that they will not support further delays in troop reductions, and language to that effect was inserted into the text. No Council member took the position during the negotiations that the drawdown should be cancelled altogether. However, it is unclear if there will be changes between now and 28 February 2019 that make the situation more conducive for troop reductions, or if any progress will be made in the implementation of the Somali transition plan during this period.
Another controversial issue is giving AMISOM a political role, similar to that of a UN peacekeeping mission, which was advocated by Ethiopia during the negotiations. After the adoption of resolution 2431, Alemu said that AMISOM can and should play a role in carrying out civilian responsibilities complementary to the efforts of UNSOM. Several Council members maintain that this would be unnecessary, given UNSOMs political mandate.
Council members have started a conversation on lifting sanctions on Eritrea. Some Council members would like to see the sanctions lifted soon, especially as the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group has consistently found no evidence that the country has supported Al-Shabaab in recent years. Others point to the fact that Eritrea has never accepted the Security Councils sanctions regime and take the view that if sanctions are to be lifted, Eritrea must acknowledge it in some form. There are also concerns over sanctions related to Eritreas dispute with Djibouti, which have yet to be addressed.
The UK is the penholder on Somalia.
UN DOCUMENTS ON SOMALIA
AFRICA
South Sudan
Expected Council Action
In September, the Council expects a briefing on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on South Sudan, requested in resolution 2406. Council members will also receive his monthly report on violations of the Status of Forces Agreement or obstructions to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The mandate of UNMISS expires on 15 March 2019.
Key Recent Developments
There has been recent progress in the peace process, followed by some reduction in the fighting which continued despite the cessation of hostilities declared in December 2017 and the permanent ceasefire agreed to in June. The human rights, humanitarian, food security and economic conditions in the country remain dire, with an enormous impact on civilians. South Sudan faces unprecedented levels of hunger and malnutrition as conflict and broader insecurity further decrease food production and access to food. Combined with the impact of the lean season, which typically runs from May to July, this could cause around 7.1 million people in the country (63 percent of the population) to become severely food insecure in the coming months.
Following negotiations in July facilitated by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar signed an agreement on 5 August on outstanding issues of governance and responsibility-sharing in Khartoum. Other parties, including the South Sudan Opposition Alliance and Former Detainees, also signed the agreement after initially refusing to do so. According to its terms, during a transitional period, Kiir will remain president, Machar will be first vice-president and four other vice-presidents will be nominated, one by each of the parties specified in the agreement. There will be 35 ministers, ten deputy ministers and 550 members of parliament, in accordance with the number of representatives from the different parties set out in the agreement. An independent boundaries commission will be appointed to consider and make recommendations on the number of states and their boundaries. Al-Bashir and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda signed the agreement as guarantors, and it was witnessed by representatives of the UN, the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Sudan transmitted the agreement to the Council the following day. The agreement was welcomed by the Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, and Special Representative and head of UNMISS David Shearer. The members of the Troika (Norway, the UK and the US) said in a statement on 10 August that [c]onsiderable challenges lie ahead and expressed concern that the arrangements agreed to date are not realistic or sustainable. Regarding next steps, the statement urged the parties to involve a wider range of stakeholders, and develop clear plans for the transition period, including how resources will be used in a transparent and accountable way for the benefit of all South Sudanese. It added, [c]ritical questions remain, such as how security will be provided in Juba during the transition period and how meaningful checks will be placed on executive power.
The 5 August agreement deals only with outstanding governance and security issues. The parties still need to sign a final agreement that will address revitalisation of other aspects of the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS). The IGAD heads of state and government said in a communique on 5 August that al-Bashir will continue to facilitate talks between the parties until such a final agreement is signed. On 9 August, the IGAD Council of Ministers convened an extraordinary session in Khartoum on the situation in South Sudan and decided the following day to set 19 August as the deadline for the conclusion of the next round of talks in Khartoum. Talks between the parties were held from 13 to 19 August on the remaining unresolved issues, including Article 4 of the ARCSS, dealing with the number and boundaries of states; the creation of five new ministries; judicial reforms; composition of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee; the powers and functions of the president and vice presidents; and an implementation matrix. On 20 August, the talks were postponed until after the Eid Al Adha holidays to 25 August. At press time, the parties were expected to initial a final agreement on 30 August.
On 10 August, Security Council members held consultations on South Sudan, focusing on food security and developments in the peace process. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Nicholas Haysom, and Shearer briefed during the consultations. Following this, Council members issued press elements expressing grave concern about the level of food insecurity, with the ongoing conflict being one of the main direct causes and demanding that all parties allow unhindered humanitarian access. The press elements also welcomed the regions role in reaching agreement on outstanding governance and security issues but noted that considerable challenges remain, including the need for detailed plans for implementation. In addition, they called for immediate implementation of the ceasefire and for the parties to demonstrate commitment to fully implement and finalise a more inclusive and revitalised ARCSS. (For more details, see our Whats in Blue story of 9 August.)
Sanctions-Related Developments
On 20 August, the Secretary-General appointed five members of the Sanctions Committees Panel of Experts until 1 July 2019. On 27 August, committee chair Ambassador Joanna Wronecka (Poland) and the coordinator of the Panel of Experts briefed the committee on their respective reports following their visit to South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya from 16 to 26 June.
Human Rights-Related Developments
The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan conducted its fifth field mission to South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia, from 20 to 31 August. The Human Rights Council will hold an interactive dialogue with the Commission during its 39th session in September.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue is how the Council can support IGAD and other regional actors in finalising the peace process and ensuring implementation of the various agreements, given what the Council called in resolution 2428 continued and flagrant violations of the ARCSS, the 21 December 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, and the 27 June Khartoum Declaration. An option would be to invite Haysom to brief the Council on a more regular basis in the future. Another option would be to adopt a presidential statement or press statement calling for implementation of the various agreements concluded by the parties, including unhindered humanitarian access and evidence of a sustained, significant reduction in violence. To reduce the level of violence and exert leverage on the parties, Council members could consider imposing, or threatening to impose, further targeted sanctions against those who undermine the process.
Another key issue for the Council is the implementation of the arms embargo and targeted sanctions imposed by resolution 2428, including in the context of the lack of support for the Councils imposition of such measures among key regional actors. An option would be to use the various ways in which the Council can receive relevant information, as set out in resolution 2428, to inform the Councils response in this regard.
The Council could also revisit the idea of holding an Arria-formula meeting with the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, given the high levels of violations and abuses of human rights and the Commissions recent visit. The idea of holding such a meeting was proposed in July, but it has not yet taken place.
Council Dynamics
Council members share deep concern about the crisis in South Sudan and its devastating impact on civilians and, in this context, continue to be supportive of the roles played by IGAD and the region towards a political resolution of the conflict. While some Council members may be cautiously optimistic about the recent progress made by the parties, other members are more sceptical as to whether, when and how the various agreements will be implemented and if this will translate into an improved situation on the ground. Several members, including the Netherlands, together with Cote dIvoire, Kuwait and Sweden, are particularly concerned about the current lack of food security and the alarming humanitarian situation.
The longstanding issue of whether the Council should impose an arms embargo was resolved with the adoption of resolution 2428 on 13 July, which passed with nine votes, the minimum number required for adoption under the UN Charter. Bolivia, China, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Russia abstained. However, several members still hold the view that the timing was not appropriate, given the ongoing peace process, and that more should have been done to obtain a higher level of consensus within the Council ahead of the adoption and to coordinate any such efforts with regional organisations and actors.
The US is the penholder on South Sudan. Poland chairs the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee.
UN Documents on South Sudan
Status Update since our August Forecast
Yemen
On 2 August, the Council received a briefing from Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and OCHA Director of Operations John Ging (S/PV.8323). Griffiths announced his intention to organise a first round of consultations with the warring Yemeni parties on 6 September in Geneva to discuss, among other things, the framework for negotiations and to agree on relevant confidence-building measures and specific plans for moving the process forward. Council members discussed Yemen under any other business on 10 August, at the request of Peru on behalf of Bolivia, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, following an air strike on a school bus in Saada province which had killed more than 40 children the previous day. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Taye-Brook Zerihoun briefed. Council members subsequently issued press elements expressing their grave concern at the attack and all other recent attacks in Yemen, called for a credible and transparent investigation, and also called on all parties to engage in good faith with the UN led process, notably consultations scheduled for September in Geneva. On 10 August, the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee met with the Yemen Panel of Experts to consider the panels midterm update, which is an unpublished report on the implementation of the sanctions regime. The midterm update stated the panels continued belief that most of the weapons it inspected, including the debris of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, show characteristics similar to weapons systems known to be produced in Iran. It also reported that the panel had received information that the Houthis receive financial support from Iran through the donation of fuel. At the same time, the midterm update said that the panel believes Iran might now be willing to play a constructive role in furthering a peaceful solution for Yemen, flagging Irans recent efforts with several European countries to try to broker a ceasefire during Ramadan. The update affirmed, among other things, that the panel continues to obtain evidence of widespread violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by all parties to the conflict, outlining different incidents that it was investigating.
Iraq
On 8 August, the Council was briefed by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of UNAMI, Jan Kubis, on the latest Secretary-Generals report on UNAMI (S/2018/677) and the most recent developments in the country (S/PV.8324). Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation to the United Nations Philip Spoerri and Suzan Araf Maroof from the Women Empowerment Organization in Iraq also provided briefings. Kubis updated the Council on the partial manual ballot recount following the 12 May parliamentary elections. Spoerri briefed on the issue of the missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and the respective activities by the Tripartite Commission chaired by the ICRC. Maroof spoke about the work of the Iraq Cross Sector Task Force for the implementation of resolution 1325. She named social protection, non-discriminatory legislation, stabilisation of the country, livelihood opportunities, and support for womens participation on all levels as security priorities for the Council to work on with the Iraqi government. In other developments, Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, Special Adviser and head of the investigative team to support Iraqi domestic efforts to hold the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant accountable for crimes it committed in Iraq, undertook his first mission to Iraq from 6 to 14 August. In a letter dated 15 August 2018 (S/2018/773) the Secretary-General informed the Council that the investigative team will begin its work on 20 August.
Lebanon
On 9 August, Council members issued a press statement condemning the 4 August attack against UNIFIL in southern Lebanon (SC/13451). During the incident, some of the UNIFILs vehicles were set on fire and weapons and equipment seized while the peacekeepers were threatened with illegal weapons. On 15 August, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita briefed Council members in consultations on the situation in Lebanon. During the consultations, members reiterated their support for the mission and the importance of stability in Lebanon for the wider region. On 30 August, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2433, extending UNIFILs mandate for another year.
Burundi
On 9 August, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi Michel Kafando briefed the Council on the situation in Burundi (S/PV.8325). On 22 August, Council members issued a press statement reiterating their concern over the political situation, the slow progress of the inter-Burundi dialogue led by the East African Community, and the lack of engagement by the government in that regard. They also welcomed the announcement by President Pierre Nkurunziza that he will not seek another term in 2020 (SC/13461).
Children and Armed Conflict
The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted its sixth conclusion on the DRC (S/AC.51/2018/2) on 7 August 2018, based on the Secretary-Generals country-specific report on the situation of children affected by armed conflict in the DRC (S/2018/502).
Western Sahara
On 8 August, the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Horst Kohler, briefed Council members in consultations. Kohler updated members on his 23 June to 1 July visit to the region to push for the resumption of negotiations, and on his vision for how to move forward the political process.
West Africa and the Sahel
On 10 August, the Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2018/16) on West Africa and the Sahel (S/PV.8327). The statement, which covers a range of issues facing the region, welcomed collective efforts, under the leadership of the Deputy Secretary-General, to recalibrate the UNs Sahel strategy to expedite its impact and encouraged greater coherence of the UN system and partners through implementation of the UN Support Plan for the Sahel. The presidential statement marked the first time that the Council addresses the herder-farmer conflicts in the region. It expressed concern for increased tensions between pastoralists and farmers, which the statement describes as being driven by competition for natural resources, rapid population growth, weak governance, pressures related to climate and ecological factors, and the circulation of small arms and light weapons. Country situations that are touched on in the statement include Togo, Guinea-Bissau, and The Gambia, along with regional security initiatives such as the G5 Sahel joint force and the Multinational Joint Task Force to combat Boko Haram.
UNOCA (Central Africa)
On 10 August, the Council adopted a presidential statement on UNOCA (S/PRST/2018/17), welcoming the renewal of its mandate for another three years, from 1 September to 31 August 2021, via an exchange of letters with the Secretary-General (S/PV.8328). In the statement, the Council expressed its concern at the grave security situation, violations and abuses of human rights, and the continuing terrorist activities of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Basin. It also expressed concern about the persistent violence perpetrated by armed groups in the Central African Republic, the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and an increase in violence in parts of Cameroon. In the statement, the Council recognised the adverse effects of climate and ecological changes, and of natural disasters, on the stability of the region. It stressed the need for long-term strategies by governments and the UN, based on risk assessments, to support stabilisation and build resilience, and requested UNOCA to take such information into consideration in its activities. The statement asked the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of the scope of UNOCAs mandate and activities and present recommendations for areas of improvement or new or refocused priorities to the Council by 1 August 2019. The Council expressed its intention to consider these recommendations, including any proposed changes to the mandate, by 31 August 2019.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 13 August, Council members issued a press statement on developments in the electoral process in the DRC (SC/13455). The statement welcomed President Joseph Kabilas respect for his commitment to abide by the Congolese Constitution and the provisions of the 31 December 2016 political agreement. It also underlined the importance of the entire Congolese political class and the institutions responsible for organising elections to remain committed to ensuring the success of the electoral process, leading to a peaceful transfer of power. On 27 August, the Security Council was briefed on the electoral process via video teleconference by Special Representative and head of MONUSCO Leila Zerrougui; President of the Conference Episcopale Nationale du Congo Monsignor Marcel Utembi; and Solange Lwashiga Furaha, spokesperson for Rien Sans les Femme (S/PV.8331). On 28 August, Council members were briefed on the current Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, under any other business in consultations. At press time, on 31 August, the DRC Sanctions Committee was scheduled to meet with the Group of Experts assisting it, which will present their programme of work.
Peacekeeping Operations and Conflict Prevention
On 16 August, there was a joint meeting of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and the Ad-hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa on the institutional reform of the AU and its contribution to enhancing Africas capacity in the area of peace and security.
Israel/Palestine
On 22 August, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (S/PV.8329). The briefing was followed by consultations. DiCarlo noted that the UN had worked with Egypt and other regional and international actors to prevent another outbreak of fighting in Gaza. She called on the parties to enable humanitarian supplies to reach the Gaza, saying that such supplies should not be held hostage to political and security developments. She thanked member states who had taken measures to help address the shortfall in funding facing the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and called on others to enhance their support.
Counter-Terrorism
On 23 August, Under-Secretary-General in the UN Office of CounterTerrorism Vladimir Voronkov briefed the Council on the seventh report (S/2018/770) of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Daesh) (S/PV.8330). Also briefing were Michele Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, and Joana Cook, Senior Research Fellow with the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at Kings College, London.
Mali
On 24 August, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the publication of the final results of the presidential elections in Mali (SC/13464). At press time, the Council was expected to adopt a resolution renewing the targeted sanctions regime on Malitravel ban and assets freezeand the mandate of the 2374 Mali Sanctions Committees Panel of Experts.
Myanmar
On 28 August, the Council was briefed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett, and UNDP Associate Administrator Tegegnework Gettu on the situation in Myanmar and the Rohingya refugee crisis (S/PV.8333). The UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad, chaired the meeting. The meeting was held to discuss developments one year after the violent reaction by Myanmar military forces to the 25 August 2017 attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on security posts led to an exodus of refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh.
Mediation and the Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts
On 29 August, an open debate was held on mediation and the peaceful resolution of conflicts (SPV.8334). The briefers were Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is a member of the Secretary-Generals High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation; and Mossarat Qadeem, the co-founder of PAIMAN Alumni Trust, which works to prevent violent extremism in Pakistan. The UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad, chaired the meeting.
Guinea-Bissau
On 30 August, the Council held a briefing on Guinea-Bissau. Speakers were Special Representative and head of UNIOGBIS, Jose Viegas Filho; Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea), chair of the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee; and Ambassador Mauro Vieira (Brazil), chair of the Guinea-Bissau configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission. Civil society representative Elisa Maria Tavares Pinto, of the ECOWAS Women Peace and Security Network, briefed via video-teleconference. Prime Minister Gomes also participated. Viegas Filho briefed the Council based on the Secretary-Generals 16 August report on Guinea-Bissau (S/2018/771). The report highlighted that the political situation remains fragile despite the progress made earlier this year towards resolving the countrys political crisis, while the organisation of legislative elections scheduled for 18 November is facing serious technical and financial challenges. On 31 August, the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee held informal consultations. Representatives of the Security Council Affairs Division presented the Secretary-Generals annual report on progress in Guinea-Bissaus stabilisation and restoration of constitutional order (S/2018/791). The Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau Aristides Gomes also addressed the Committee.
DPRK (North Korea)
On 30 August, the chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Karel van Oosterom (Netherlands), briefed the Council in consultations on the work of the committee during the past three months. The briefing was primarily focused on developments related to the work of the committee, the implementation of the sanctions, and the midterm report of the Panel of Experts circulated to the committee earlier in August. Council members also discussed the ongoing diplomatic efforts on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
AFRICA
Sudan/South Sudan
Expected Council Action
In September, the Council expects to receive a briefing on the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and on the report of the Secretary-General containing detailed recommendations about the reconfiguration of UNISFA, requested in resolution 2416 and submitted to the Council in August. Council members also expect to receive by 15 September a report from the Secretary-General, requested in resolution 2412, on progress in implementing any steps taken by the parties as set out in that resolution as well as resolution 2386. This report may also be covered during the briefing.
The mandate of UNISFA expires on 15 November. The missions support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), established in 2011 to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the Sudan/South Sudan border, expires on 15 October.
Key Recent Developments
The security situation in Abyei, the disputed territory along the Sudan/South Sudan border, remains relatively stable but unpredictable in the absence of significant progress on establishing temporary arrangements for its administration and security pending resolution of its final status. Humanitarian needs remain substantial and are exacerbated by intercommunal tensions and a lack of basic public services. In this context, UNISFA continues to carry out its mandate, including ongoing facilitation of peaceful migration throughout Abyei; conflict prevention and deterrence; and mediation.
On 15 May, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2416, which renewed the mandate of UNISFA until 15 November and reduced the authorised troop ceiling of the mission from 4,791 to 4,500. Resolution 2416 authorised a further decrease in the troop ceiling to 3,959 on 15 October, unless the Council decides to extend the missions support to the JBVMM, which remains at initial operating capability. Resolution 2412, adopted on 23 April, extended the missions support for the JBVMM until 15 October, saying this would be the final such extension unless the parties demonstrate measurable progress on border demarcation in line with six specific measures set out in the resolution. (For more details, see our Whats in Blue stories of 22 April and 14 May.)
Resolution 2416 expressed the Councils intention to revise the configuration and mandate of UNISFA, following recommendations to this effect in the 22 April confidential letter from the Secretary-General. The Secretary-Generals letter presented a summary of the independent and integrated review of UNISFA conducted from February to April (the mission was one of the eight peacekeeping operations subject to review, as initiated by the Secretary-General). The resolution acknowledges that over the course of the seven years since [the] establishment of UNISFA, the mission has been able to stabilize and demilitarize the Abyei Area and that UNISFA is now an interim security force with no viable exit strategy. It requested the Secretary-General to report by 15 August on detailed recommendations regarding the reconfiguration of UNISFAs mandate to create the space for a viable political process that would also serve as an exit strategy, including the role of the UN Country Teams in support of rule of law and peacebuilding, and detailed information on steps the governments should take to create the conditions for an exit strategy.
Council members received the Secretary-Generals further recommendations on 20 August, which propose that the mission be reconfigured to play an enhanced and more proactive role in support of a political solution to resolving the final status of Abyei, including implementation by Sudan and South Sudan of two agreements concluded in 2011 on border issues and security arrangements. Acknowledging that the mission has lacked the civilian tools to keep the parties engaged, recommendations include appointing a civilian deputy head of mission to function as the main focal point on political matters and expanding UNISFAs civilian component. (A 2015 decision by the Secretary-General to appoint a civilian head of mission was never implemented.) Recommended changes to the missions military component include transferring troops to the JBVMM to fully operationalise it, based on the reduced need for a large military presence and the assessment that the JBVMM remains vital in contributing to preventing conflict between the two countries and that its full deployment is of paramount importance. A larger police component is also recommended, including the addition of specialised police officers to provide advisory support and the transfer of some tasks from the military to the police. These proposed changes would represent an overall decrease in troop numbers.
Council members were last briefed on UNISFA on 24 April by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Nicholas Haysom. The briefing was held in consultations and not in the open chamber, as was the case at the preceding briefing on the issue on 26 October 2017.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for the Council is whether to maintain UNISFAs support to the JBVMM. An option is to continue the missions support in recognition of recent efforts made by the parties towards its full operationalisation, including the establishment of some team sites along the border crossing corridors. Continued support could include some or all of the 20 August recommendations of the Secretary-General related to the JBVMM. Another option is to retain the missions support for a shorter period, as a means of putting pressure on the parties to intensify efforts to fully implement the JBVMM and reach a political solution. A further option is for the Council to take no action to extend the missions support for the JBVMM, which would result in UNISFAs troop levels decreasing on 15 October from 4,500 to 3,959, as set out in resolution 2416.
Another key issue for the Council to consider is the appropriateness of UNISFAs current mandate in relation to its strategic priorities and the situation on the ground, ahead of the mandate renewal in November. This assessment could be informed by the 20 August recommendations of the Secretary-General.
Council Dynamics
Over the last several years, the US has repeatedly expressed its concern that UNISFA is persisting longer than had been intended for an interim force, and that Sudan and South Sudan are taking advantage of the relative stability that UNISFA provides to delay attempts to resolve the status of Abyei and related border-security issues. During the negotiations for resolution 2416, the US again pushed for troop reductions. The reduction in the troop ceiling initially proposed by the US was slightly adjusted (from 4,222 to 4,500) as a compromise following opposition from Ethiopia (UNISFAs primary troop-contributing country), which was supported by some other members. Ethiopia had similarly expressed concern about troop reductions during negotiations in November 2017 on resolution 2386 and in April on resolution 2412, both of which ultimately maintained a troop ceiling of 4,791, despite initial drafts seeking to reduce it. Insofar as the reconfiguration of UNISFA will likely involve further troop reductions, these dynamics are expected to arise again in discussions leading up to the mandate renewal in November.
Regarding the JBVMM, Ethiopia and several other Council members are of the view that suspending the missions support to the JBVMM would undermine the effectiveness of the mission, and that the parties have taken sufficient steps towards establishing the JBVMM to merit retaining support. This difference in perspective will likely feature in discussions ahead of deciding whether to extend support for the JBVMM in October.
The US is the penholder on Abyei.
UN Documents on Sudan/South Sudan
MIDDLE EAST
Syria
Expected Council Action
In September, the Council expects to receive the monthly Syria briefings on the humanitarian situation, political developments, and the use of chemical weapons.
Key Recent Developments
The conflict has been marked in recent weeks by the consolidation of territory by the government in the southwest and the potential for a military offensive in the northern governorate of Idlib and adjacent areas, near the border with Turkey. While Idlib was supposed to be part of a de-escalation zone agreed to by Iran, Russia and Turkey, it has been the target of Russian and Syrian airstrikes. Idlib, which remains under the control of armed groups, hosts hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by the conflict, and the UN has repeatedly warned about the terrible humanitarian impact of an escalation of military activity in and around Idlib. The presence of several thousand members of Council-designated terrorist groups in Idlib continues to be used to justify military operations, as has happened in other parts of Syria.
A 30-31 July meeting of Iran, Russia and Turkey in the Russian city of Sochi yielded no agreement on Idlibs fate. The final statement calls upon the international community to restore basic infrastructure assets, including social and economic facilities. However, the final declaration of an EU-UN conference held in Brussels on 24-25 April stressed that international support for reconstruction will only be possible once a credible political solution is firmly underway. It stated that this also requires minimal conditions for stability and inclusiveness, a democratic and inclusive government, an agreed development strategy, reliable and legitimate interlocutors as well as guarantees in terms of funding accountability.
The political process remains stalled. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura continues his efforts to facilitate the establishment of a constitutional committee. While the government and the opposition have provided a list of 50 candidates for the committee, de Mistura has reiterated the importance of including civil society and fulfilling the aspiration for women to make up 30 percent of the committee. At a 25 July briefing to Council members, he emphasised some of the challenges that he is facing in facilitating that process, such as fostering agreement on the committees purpose, its membership and its rules of procedure, including decision-making mechanisms. In press elements agreed to at the meeting, Council members called on the Syrian parties to engage with the Special Envoy constructively, in good faith and without preconditions over the constitutional committee. De Mistura has invited Iran, Russia and Turkey for formal consultations in Geneva on 11-12 September to work on the constitutional committee.
Humanitarian access continues to be restricted for the UN and its partners, despite the swaths of territory that are increasingly under the control of the government and the fact that it would be possible to deliver aid through regular Damascus-based humanitarian programmes. In a press conference on 9 August, Jan Egeland, the special advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria, highlighted the need for more protection guarantees for civilians notwithstanding the deployment of Russian military police in some of the territory recently taken over by the government.
On 27 July, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba briefed the Council on humanitarian developments and the situation of children in Syria. Sweden, as Council President, conceived the meeting as a way to address the special vulnerabilities of children in Syria. Gamba told Council members that since the beginning of 2018 alone, over 1,200 violations against children have been verified. These include more than 600 children killed or maimed, and more than 180 recruited and used for military purposes. In addition, more than 60 schools have been attacked, and there have been over 100 attacks on hospitals and medical facilities or personnel. Actual numbers may be much higher, Gamba told the Council.
The deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Thomas Markram, briefed Council members in consultations on 2 August. Although the two remaining chemical weapons production facilities have been destroyed, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) continues to consider that the initial declaration submitted by the Syrian government to the OPCW in 2013 was incomplete. The Fact-Finding Mission of the OPCW continues to investigate the 7 April incident in Douma. The OPCW Technical Secretariat is currently putting in place arrangements to identify the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in Syria in line with the decision taken on 27 June by the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
In late July, terrorist raids and suicide bombings in the southern city of Sweida killed more than 200 people. According to press reports, several meetings have taken place between Kurdish representatives holding territorial control in north-eastern Syria and government representatives in Damascus to discuss self-administration. So far, these meetings have been inconclusive.
Human Rights-Related Developments
In a 31 July press statement, the spokesperson of the High Commissioner for Human Rights strongly condemned the attacks in Sweida by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). According to the statement, ISIL militants raided homes in at least eight villages, shooting and killing civilians inside their homes and abducting women and children. The ISIL militants included many who were recently evacuated and relocated from the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp, Hajar Al-Aswad, and Al-Tadamon areas of southern Damascus as part of a government reconciliation agreement. The transfer of armed fighters with a history of gross human rights abuses and contempt towards international law can mean an increase in the likelihood of violent attacks against civilians like the ones carried outin Sweida, the spokesperson said. We urge the Syrian government not to put civilians at serious risk through such relocations. The Human Rights Council will hold an interactive dialogue with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and consider the commissions report (A/HRC/39/65) during its 39th session in September.
Key Issues and Options
The current level of P5 divisions raises the question of whether the Council will be able to work constructively on Syria in the foreseeable future. If the paralysis continues, those with even a limited capacity to actwhether elected members, the Secretary-General, or members of the General Assemblymay seek to take the initiative.
While divided on Syria for more than seven years, the Council has been able to unite at times around some aspects of the conflict, such as initially setting the agenda for a political process, investigating the use and providing for the destruction of chemical weapons, and authorising cross-border deliveries of humanitarian relief. As the political climate deteriorated, the Security Council failed to renew the mandate of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism in late 2017, and there is a risk that Council decisions may be further undermined. Council members could hold informal, unscripted and forward-looking discussions at the ambassadorial level to seek ways to increase pressure on the parties to the conflict and strive for a political settlement that is both realistic and acceptable to all.
Since it was established in August 2011, the Human Rights Councils Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria has briefed Council members in an Arria-formula meeting seven times, most recently on 21 April 2017. Council members could hold a meeting to be briefed on the commissions newest report, released in June, on the siege of Eastern Ghouta, which could also be transmitted to the Council as an official document.
Council and Wider Dynamics
Council dynamics on Syria continue to be characterised by increased polarisation on the three files through which the conflict is discussed: political, humanitarian, and chemical weapons. In May, P5 members started meeting regularly on Syria at the ambassadorial level, but it seems that these discussions have now subsided. As the government consolidates territory, including in areas of strategic importance for external actors near Syrias borders, the regional dimension of the conflict is likely to feature more prominently in Council discussions.
In December 2017, the adoption of resolution 2393, drafted by Egypt, Japan and Sweden, renewed the authorisation for cross-border humanitarian access to Syria. It was adopted with the abstentions of Bolivia, China and Russia. In explaining their vote, China and Russia highlighted the importance of working through the government and eventually rolling back a provision that had been devised originally as a temporary measure. In the Council, Russia has continued to question the raison detre of this mechanism, which is currently authorised until 10 January 2019.
As pressure mounts to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, UNHCR has emphasised that while refugees always have a right to return, this has to be voluntary, sustainable, and under safe and dignified conditions.
Kuwait and Sweden are the penholders on humanitarian issues in Syria.
UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA
BART has ended emergency police patrols that it began after the fatal stabbing of a young woman on a train platform in Oakland, and switched to a leaner staffing plan that it can keep long-term.
At the same time, the agency is struggling to fill vacancies in its force, amid a string of headline-grabbing crimes and a steady increase in complaints about transients and drug use.
The transit agency has long made do with a thin law enforcement staff. But in August it stretched that police force as far as it could go, requiring all cops, dispatchers, non-sworn community service officers and other staff to work 10 hour shifts, six days a week. The change came as BART officials reeled from the slaying of 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was stabbed from behind at MacArthur Station.
Weve had this rash of random acts of violence, and the only way to quell that is to have a lot of officers present, said BART Police Officers Association President Keith Garcia. But were down bodies.
Forty-two, to be precise. BART has 26 openings in a force thats authorized to hire 178 officers. At least three members of the rank-and-file are applying for jobs in other law enforcement agencies, and 16 are out with injuries.
So the heightened patrols couldnt last forever, Garcia said.
How long do you think we can have people work six days a week on their feet all day, carrying 20 pounds of gear on their uniform? he said.
On Monday, the agency shifted to voluntary overtime. Managers seek at least four officers every day to work additional hours patrolling trains and stations. Separately, BART has called for 10 community service officers to do voluntary overtime on weekends.
Under normal circumstances, five to 10 officers solely ride trains, and another 24 are required to board a train at least four times during their shifts. That may change. Police Chief Carlos Rojas made recruitment and training priorities when he took the job last year, a time when BART was mired in an even more severe officer shortage, with 41 vacancies.
Hes gradually chipped away at the problem by speeding up training and offering $10,000 hiring bonuses to new officers.
I think hes already made good changes and there are more to come, said Director Debora Allen, whose district runs from Lafayette to Concord.
Last year, BART commissioned a police staffing study from the University of North Texas, which is scheduled to go before the board next month. Garcia expects it will recommend that the agency hire more officers.
Violent crime on BART has increased 66 percent in the past five years, and officials are grappling with the increasingly in-your-face homelessness and opioid crises. Wilsons killing drew a harsh spotlight to the rail line, prompting General Manager Grace Crunican to propose $28 million in safety measures including the emergency police staffing.
BART also lined up a $6.8 million federal grant this week to improve its security systems and add police on trains traveling through the busiest stations.
The recent wave of attacks continued during the mandatory six-day-a-week police shifts, with stabbings at MacArthur, Hayward and Warm Springs stations.
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But having the extra police presence helped, Garcia said.
We were high-profile, we were riding the trains and when things happened, we quickly identified the individuals involved, he noted.
Garcia and others would like to keep that many officers on duty on a regular basis. But the transit agency might have to make the job more attractive. When the Police Officers Association compared salaries at 10 Bay Area law enforcement agencies, BARTs wages of $8,417 a month for its top staff was the second-lowest, just above Concord Police Departments rate of $8,410 a month.
The association is in contract negotiations with BART management, and at least one member of the agencys board, Joel Keller, supports the call for salary increases.
He said that frequent attacks and deteriorating conditions are eroding riders confidence.
Its just a function of society today BART is a microcosm, Keller said, recalling a conversation he had recently with two riders from Brentwood who stopped taking their grandchildren to the theater on BART because of the crime.
Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
California voters reduced large numbers of drug and theft crimes from felonies to misdemeanors in 2014, lowering their sentences and ending, for future defendants, a requirement to provide DNA samples for state and national crime databases. But the state Supreme Court says DNA already in the databases will stay there.
Although the ballot measure, Proposition 47, was intended to reduce punishment for past as well as future cases allowing convicted drug users and thieves to have their crimes reclassified as misdemeanors and, if still imprisoned, reduce their sentences it was not drafted to remove genetic samples from the collection that police use to identify criminal suspects, the court said in a unanimous ruling Thursday.
Because requiring the submission of a (DNA) sample is not punishment it follows that retention of a sample is not punishment either, Justice Carol Corrigan said in a pair of cases involving youths from Contra Costa County. She said removing their DNA from the database would not advance Prop. 47s goals of reducing the prison population and refocusing police and prosecutors on more serious crimes.
Attorney Anne Mania, who argued the case for the youths, said she was disappointed by the ruling and declined to further comment.
Prop. 47, approved by nearly 60 percent of the voters, eliminated felony punishment for nonviolent thefts of $950 or less and for possession of most illegal drugs and classified them as misdemeanors, punishable by a year or less in county jail. It allowed as many as 1 million convicted felons to seek reclassification of their crimes.
The initiative has contributed to a reduction in the states prison population, but its impact on the crime rate is a subject of heated debate. An initiative scheduled for the November 2020 ballot, backed by some law enforcement groups, would partly repeal Prop. 47 by reclassifying some of the theft crimes as felonies, and would also expand DNA sampling requirements.
Another voter-approved measure, Prop. 69, effective in 2009, requires collection of DNA samples from all convicted felons. It also requires samples from adults arrested on felony charges, but destroys those samples when defendants are acquitted or charges are dismissed.
The court cases involved two juveniles: C.H., convicted of felony grand theft for stealing a pair of pants from a department store in 2011, and C.B., convicted of the same crime for stealing jewelry, a wallet and other items from a home in Concord. Because the value of the property did not exceed $950, Superior Court judges agreed in 2015 to reclassify both youths crimes as misdemeanors in 2015 and reduced the fines they had been ordered to pay, but refused to remove their DNA samples from the state databank.
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In their appeals, the youths lawyers cited Prop. 47s language that a crime covered by the measure shall be considered a misdemeanor for all purposes. But the court said California law allows DNA samples to be removed only if a defendant is cleared of the original charges, either by an appellate courts reversal of the convictions or by a judges findings of innocence.
Although Prop. 47 did not discuss the issue of whether past DNA samples should be destroyed when a crime is reclassified, Corrigan said, the voters could have rationally concluded that those who were convicted of felonies, and had their DNA collected, posed enough of a risk of future crimes that the samples should remain even if the crimes were later reclassified.
Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Claudia Mendez was 15 with no clue about what having sex or getting venereal disease was about. Her parents abused her. Her mom, she said, expected her to get pregnant young and find a sugar daddy. Hopelessness was pretty much the recipe for the future.
Then Mendez found the New Generation Health Center, where doctors and counselors skipped the birds-and-bees business and got right down to brass tacks on the meaning of safe sex. And sexually transmitted diseases. And how to pick healthy relationships, and when to plan for children.
All those things you normally talk to your mom and dad about? Mendez said. That didnt happen with them but it did at New Generation. Because of them, I was able to demand respect for my life. I was able to make smart choices.
For more than 20 years, New Generation in San Francisco has played the same role for thousands of low-income teens and young adults who felt they had nowhere to turn for badly needed advice on reproductive health. But it all nearly ended just over a year ago.
Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle
Crippled by a drop-off in donations and grants, along with insurmountable costs it would need to pay to upgrade its leased Potrero Avenue building for seismic and disability codes, the clinic faced closure. UCSF, which had been running it, determined that the cost wasnt sustainable.
On Wednesday, the fear of permanent closure was put to rest for good when New Generation officially opened at a new location in the cavernous headquarters of the Homeless Prenatal Program at 2500 18th St. As city leaders, including Supervisor Hillary Ronen and medical professionals, hailed it as a new day, the clinics counselors saw a bright future.
New Generation actually began its relocation a couple of months ago, slowly taking in patients, and by the time the ribbon cutting and speeches happened, its teams were already seeing about 40 young people a week, most of them women and girls.
The clinic had moved into a tiny space at San Francisco General Hospital after letting the lease run out at the old Potrero building and while the new location was being prepared. But few knew about it, and some young people who did were reluctant to go because they were afraid theyd run into friends of their parents or others they didnt want to know they were looking for reproductive help.
Now that word is going out that the doors really are open at the new spot, they expect the numbers to swell.
When we lost our lease, we were despondent, and our clients were worried, Andrea Raider, lead clinician at the center, said the other day right after installing a birth control implant for a young woman. Its a really good feeling being here. Too many people depend on us for us not to be here.
Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle
New Generation became a lifeline for Mendez as she moved into foster care to get away from her abusive parents, then went on to get a bachelors degree at San Francisco State University in comparative world literature. The kid from the troubled home overcame her tough early years so thoroughly that now, at 27, she works as a community organizer and has begun graduate studies in social work at San Francisco State. And she regularly brings other disadvantaged kids to New Generation, even as she continues to use its services.
This staff is humble and understanding, especially Andrea, Mendez said. I dont trust many people with my sexual health. But New Generation, I trust with everything.
The clinics rescue came after community and medical leaders raised the alarm back in 2016 about its looming closure. Dr. Rebecca Jackson, the UCSF professor who had long overseen the university-run clinic, led the charge in raising more than $1.4 million in donations and grants from individuals and foundations. With other community leaders, she helped stitch together a new agreement for UCSF to work with the city Department of Public Health which now owns the clinic and the Homeless Prenatal Program on maintaining the center.
Jackson got so involved she strapped on a construction belt, grabbed an electronic drill and helped renovate the clinics new space on the third floor of the prenatal programs building. The result of the work and the hundreds of thousands of dollars donated for the renovation is a cheery set of examining and counseling rooms with red and yellow accent colors and huge windows to match the welcoming vibe of the staff of educators and medical professionals.
We are all very, very, very passionate about reproductive health, said Jackson, who is also chief of obstetrics and gynecology at San Francisco General. And, remember, back in 2016 ... with the gentrification of San Francisco, there was a lot of talk about people of color and low-income people being pushed out of the city. To me and the entire staff, closing was not a choice. There is too much need for this clinic.
The prenatal program, which had always referred young pregnant women to the clinic and vice versa, turned out to be a perfect partner.
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This is about both the rescue of the clinic and the community coming together to do that, said Martha Ryan, executive director of Homeless Prenatal Program, which has served 85,000 impoverished families with housing and provided prenatal, parenting and other support services since opening in 1989. Just closing New Generation didnt make any sense at all. Kids are still going to have sex and, if they get pregnant unexpectedly, it can stop their education, their ability to get a job, make life very complicated.
Prevention is less expensive than handling what happens after those pregnancies. And having this clinic here in our building is very good for both of our programs.
Already, the staffs of the two programs have found that the new arrangement has been a lot more efficient for moving clients back and forth for services.
Honestly, some of the young women we see have such trauma in their lives that sometimes even having to walk across the street can be a barrier to seeking extra assistance, said Kaitlin Mo Morrison, clinic coordinator for New Generation. Sometimes they dont want to be seen. Sometimes theyre afraid. And sometimes if you ask them to come back for another appointment, they wont show up because there is so much turmoil in their lives.
It makes a real difference being in the same space. Here, you can just walk in and be seen right at once, no need to come back two or three times like at some other places for something we can handle right away.
This could not have worked out any better.
Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron
A Montreal woman and her daughter who were reported missing while camping along the California coast were found safe on Thursday.
Audrey Rodrigue, 29, and her 10-year-old daughter, Emily, were last seen at Six Rivers National Forest near the town of Orleans in Humboldt County on Tuesday, according to detectives from the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office.
Deputies announced via Twitter Thursday evening the pair were in good health and simply enjoying their California camping trip.
We are so grateful for this news & wish them safe travels back home, read the tweet. Thank you to everyone who assisted with spreading the word.
Rodrigue and her daughter flew into San Francisco International Airport on Aug. 23 and rented a car. odrigues boyfriend, in Canada, reported the pair missing Monday after he hadnt heard from her in a day.
Detectives did not suspect foul play, but realized some elements of camping can be dangerous and cellular service can be spotty.
Driving down the California coastline can be treacherous, especially to someone unfamiliar with it, said Rosemerry Blankswade, a spokeswoman for the Sheriffs Office.
After leaving the airport, Rodrigue and her daughter checked into the Vagabond Inn in Burlingame. Last Friday, Rodrigue sent her boyfriend a text and checked out of the hotel with her daughter.
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Authorities said the pair were expected at the hostel at the Pigeon Point lighthouse in Pescadero, the next day, Saturday, but they never arrived.
Rodrigue had reservations for the Fish Lake Campground in Six Rivers National Forest for Tuesday. Campers at the site saw Rodrigue and her daughter and said they heard Rodrigue mention staying at free campsites along the coast, Blankswade said. Park rangers werent able to reach the pair before they left the park.
Ashley McBride and Lauren Hernandez are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com; lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com
San Francisco Mayor London Breed nominated Amanda Eaken to a vacant seat on the Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors on Friday.
Eaken is an urban planner at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where she focuses on ways to curb transportation-related pollution.
She played a key role in forming and implementing the states 2008 Sustainable Communities Act, which provides funding and other incentives to develop emission-reduction plans.
In a statement announcing the nomination, Breed said Eakens expertise around transportation and land use will bring a valuable perspective to the SFMTA Board of Directors as they work to improve transportation for all San Franciscans.
If she is confirmed by the Board of Supervisors, Eaken would fill a seat on the SFMTA board vacated by former director Joel Ramos, who left the board in June to lead the agencys Community Response Team.
Eaken would step into a leadership role at an agency rocked by a string of recent controversies.
Last month, SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin apologized to Breed after she sent him a scathing letter for service delays tied to the poorly managed closure of the Twin Peaks Tunnel. Breed also said she had serious concerns about insufficient background checks of SFMTA contractors.
Last month, 51-year-old Patrick Ricketts was struck and killed by a steel beam while working on the tunnel project. He was an employee of the main contractor, Shimmick Construction of Oakland. It was later found that Shimmick had been cited 39 times for safety violations by Cal/OSHA, but the company didnt mention those violations when bidding on the contract.
Dominic Fracassa
Big and bright: The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission announced Friday that Salesforce Tower the tallest office building west of the Mississippi River is now being powered by 100 percent renewable energy delivered through the citys CleanPowerSF program.
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The announcement comes just over a year after Salesforce signed up two of its other office buildings at 50 Fremont Center and 350 Mission St. to the clean energy program.
Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle
CleanPowerSFs electricity is generated from a mix of renewable sources and uses Pacific Gas & Electric infrastructure to transmit it to San Francisco customers. The SFPUC is slowly connecting the entire city to the CleanPowerSF option, but residents and businesses may sign up before theyre automatically enrolled.
The agency expects to have the entire city plugged into the program by July. About 108,000 San Francisco customers are already enrolled, the SFPUC said.
Dominic Fracassa
Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @dominicfracassa
Beware of that cool sea breeze over Labor Day weekend; it could be carrying unwanted lung-ravaging soot particles from the north.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory Friday warning that clouds of ash from fires in Oregon and British Columbia that are now floating over the ocean could blow ashore.
The advisory, which continues through Monday, urges Bay Area residents to limit outdoor activity, close windows and doors, and set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate if they smell smoke.
Lisa Fasano, spokeswoman for the air quality district, said smoke from the fires in our neighbor state and the province of Canada has been blowing out to sea and could waft into town this weekend.
The National Weather Service is forecasting light northerly winds through Labor Day, the same kind of breeze that blanketed the Bay Area in a brown haze during the past couple of weeks.
We may experience smoke. Its all very weather dependent, Fasano said. Because we are still experiencing smoke offshore, we could be impacted again.
The massive fires that plagued California in July and August are mostly contained and are no longer sending smoke over the Bay Area, Fasano said.
The problem smoke is coming from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, which is in the midst of its worst fire season on record, with 534 active fires.
Flames have blackened more than 5,000 square miles in British Columbia since Jan. 1, breaking the previous record set in 2017.
The Klondike Fire, in southwest Oregon, topped 100,000 acres this week. That blaze, which originated in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, was 40 percent contained Friday.
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Its really the fires up north that have the potential to impact us, Fasano said about the smoke, which can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a dry scratchy throat and irritated sinuses.
Were just trying to alert the public to stay vigilant, especially children, the elderly and people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite
Stanhope Gould, an investigative reporter and TV news field producer who guided broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite through some of the biggest stories of the 1960s and 70s, died last week in a hospital near his home in San Mateo. He was 83.
Through his long career, Gould worked at all three major networks in New York, winning awards at each, and also had a stint at KRON-TV in San Francisco.
Stan is one of the people who created modern television news, said Tom DeVries, a retired TV and print journalist who worked with Gould at KRON. He was a guy who in the middle of an argument could say what Marshal Tito said to me. He had that kind of personal experience and breadth of history.
Gould had been a reporter and writer with the CBS affiliate in Chicago when he was plucked to work on the CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite in 1963. His first major assignment was to go to Dallas and locate the brain of assassinated President John F. Kennedy. He made several trips to Vietnam to do war reporting that Cronkite then relayed to America.
Walter looked to Stanhope when the story was difficult, said Linda Mason, retired senior vice president of CBS News, who won an Emmy Award with Gould. Stanhope would put it in order and make it work. He always made Walter look good.
Goulds biggest impact came when he built a case against the Watergate conspirators at a time when TV news was ignoring the story. He secured an unprecedented 14 minutes out of a half-hour program, to allow Cronkite to move out of his chair and to a pinup board and connect the players all the way up to the Nixon White House.
That is the kind of thing Stanhope did, Mason said. He was one of the most talented, innovative and fearless producers Ive ever known.
One of his memorable TV investigations came after actress Jayne Mansfield was decapitated in a horrendous wreck involving the undercarriage of a truck, in 1967. Gould wrote an expose that Cronkite delivered on air. The report helped spur change in safety regulations for the trucking industry. Gould also exposed the coverup of the exploding gas tanks on the Ford Pinto.
By the 1980s, he had moved from evening news to become a producer for 20/20 and Primetime Live on ABC.
He was a masterful storyteller and a legendary producer in the golden age of television news, said Meredith White, a former Chronicle editor who had been a senior producer at ABC News. A character and a total charmer.
One person Gould charmed was on-air correspondent Sylvia Chase, who recalled her first meeting with Gould, at CBS headquarters.
In a building full of suits, Stanhope wore shoulder-length, tousled hair and was dressed for a Caribbean beach in frayed, mid-calf, linen-like pants, a messy T-shirt and bare feet clad in ... sandals.
They became a couple and partners on a two-part series on the romantic relationship between Marilyn Monroe and both John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. It was scheduled for the 1985 season premiere of 20/20 of ABC. A buzz arose when the network became queasy about the report.
ABC ultimately killed the report, which prompted both Gould and Chase to leave ABC. They later reunited at KRON, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco. The two of them went to Leningrad to report on its polluted drinking water and inhumane living conditions. They also followed the Loma Prieta earthquake with a report called The Quake Thats Coming, that made it seem like the Bay Area got off easy in 1989.
Stan was the top of everything, said Chase, now retired and living in Belvedere. He was very careful and always accurate. We fought a lot but we always came out in the same spot. Which was doing the story right.
Gould produced several documentaries that aired on TV, most prominently JFK: An Unsolved Murder, uncovering several inconsistencies to bolster conspiracy theorists.
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Before it aired, in 1988, Gould told Chronicle TV writer Chuck Ross, I dont think a majority of our viewers know that Kennedys body left Dallas in one coffin and arrived in Bethesda (Maryland) in another one.
Stanhope Carl Gould was born Dec. 5, 1934, in Chicago. He attended Harvard, but never graduated, leaving after his junior year to take a reporting job at a wire service in Chicago. He ended his journalism career in New York City, where he in returned in the 1990s to take a final job in TV news.
Gould was married and divorced twice. In 2003, he moved to San Mateo to reunite with a woman he had known since his years in Chicago. He and Joy Marcus were married in 2004 and lived near Central Park in San Mateo.
Restless and inquisitive until the end, Gould became obsessed with the degradation of the environment and spent years researching a book he planned to write. He never did.
Gould died Tuesday from pneumonia, Marcus said.
In addition to his wife, Gould is survived by a son, Maxwell Gould of New York City; a daughter, Arlen Gould of Massachusetts; and a stepdaughter, Laura Marcus-Bricca of San Jose.
A private remembrance party is pending.
Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF Instagram: @sfchronicle_art
Judge Miriam E. Wolff, a trailblazer in the legal profession who rose to become the first woman to head the Port of San Francisco, died Monday.
Wolff, who lived in Los Gatos in her later years, was 102.
She was one of just three women in Stanford Law Schools graduating class of 1940, said family friend Brooksley Born.
Only 20 years after women won the right to vote in this country, Judge Miriam Wolff was among a small vanguard of women who attended law school, led a highly successful law career with many firsts, and helped pave the way for women to excel in the field of law, Stanford Law School Dean M. Elizabeth Magill said in a statement. Stanford Law School is exceedingly proud to call her one of our alumni and she will truly be missed.
Wolff was born in Portland, Ore., on July 24, 1916, and grew up in Los Angeles, Born said. She knew she wanted to be a lawyer since she was 11 years old, and stayed focused on that dream at Stanford, where she received both a bachelors degree and a law degree.
A 1970 profile of Wolff in The Chronicle, headlined At ease in a mans world, detailed how she held positions that were typically occupied by men and wasnt worried about supervising a staff of mostly men at the port. Wolff was chief counsel for the San Francisco Port Authority before becoming port director in 1970, a position she held for five years.
There are a lot of large meetings that I have attended as the only woman, Wolff told The Chronicle.
The World Trade Club leased space from the port and was located above Wolffs office. The club didnt admit women or allow them to eat in its dining room, but Wolff persuaded its officials to change its rules and became one of its first female members, Born said.
As the first woman to serve as judge on the Municipal Court of Santa Clara County in 1975, among her first actions was to allow women to wear pantsuits in her courtroom.
Wolff and Borns mother became best friends during their years at Stanford, and Born said Wolff was her honorary aunt growing up. She had a great deal of influence on me because I saw from her that a woman could be a successful lawyer, Born said.
She was a true pioneer for women in the law, and especially maritime law, former city attorney and port general counsel Noreen Ambrose said in an email. She saw the port through the major transition from being a state agency to a local government trustee, working through many complicated legal issues.
Wolffs mind was a steel trap, Ambrose said. Ambrose recalled a conversation with Wolff in 2007 in which Wolff could remember the names and dates of cases she had litigated more than 30 years before.
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Retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, who met Wolff when she became a judge on the Santa Clara County Municipal Court in 1982, said Wolff taught her many of her judicial skills. Wolff was supportive of Cordells career, and the two remained friends, with Cordell interviewing Wolff for an oral history with the American Bar Association in 2007.
She wasnt physically big in stature, but boy, she was very, very smart, Cordell said. She could stand up for herself and for women. ... She wasnt afraid to be who she was and get out there and do the work.
Wolff is survived by her sister-in-law, Marilyn Wolff; nephews, Larry Wolff and Steven Wolff; niece, Lori Wolff; and five great-nieces and great-nephews.
Funeral arrangements have not been planned.
Sophia Kunthara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaKunthara
The president of a San Francisco construction company and two employees have been arrested in connection with the death of a worker crushed by a steamroller in 2016.
Michael Sommer, president of LC General Engineering & Construction Inc.; Manuel Silao, a construction project manager; and Ramiro Pena-Pena, a foreman, allegedly allowed an unqualified worker to operate a heavy steamroller that fatally crushed another employee on a work site at the intersection of Vicente Street and 18th Avenue in San Francisco in January 2016, officials said Wednesday.
The worker, who had never received training to operate a steamroller, got behind the wheel of the heavy machinery under his employers instruction, lost control of the roller and ran over another employee, Maurilio Rojas, according to the San Francisco district attorneys office.
Pena-Pena, 48, of Dublin; Sommer, 41, of Pacifica; and Silao, 59, of Richmond, were arrested Tuesday and each charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and three felony violations of the labor code, officials said.
When businesses ignore regulations designed to create safe workplaces, they put their employees and the community at risk, said District Attorney George Gascon. The stakes are high, and the volume of construction under way in San Francisco requires these companies to take the precautions necessary to mitigate the risk of injury.
LC General Engineering & Construction Inc. was cited for six health and safety violations, four of which were serious, in the fatal 2016 incident, according to records with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for investigating workplace safety violations.
The company is facing a $52,810 fine. The case is under contest, according to the Cal/OSHA incident report.
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Pena-Pena was arraigned Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Sommer is set to be arraigned on Thursday and Silao on Tuesday.
Their arrests followed an investigation by Cal/OSHA officials, assisted by Brian Arnold, a senior inspector with the San Francisco district attorneys office.
Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
Fishing gear that is responsible for the unintentional deaths of dozens of marine mammals every year will be phased out under a new bill passed by the state Legislature and awaiting the governors signature.
Called drift gill nets, the often mile-long nets used to catch swordfish, also trap and kill many other species, including dolphins, seals and the occasional endangered sperm whale and leatherback sea turtle.
Anything that comes in its way, its going to (catch) in its net, said Paul Shively, project director of Pacific Ocean conservation at Pew Charitable Trusts, which has been working to ban the nets for five years. Its not only inhumane, its just not a good way to manage our U.S. resources.
Drift gill nets are large nylon nets attached to buoys and weights that fishing boats pull behind them. They have a wide enough mesh to allow juvenile fish to escape and come with acoustic pingers meant to scare away dolphins and whales, though they are not always successful.
Under SB1017, authored by State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Redondo Beach (Los Angeles County), and passed by state lawmakers last week, drift gill net fishermen would be compensated $100,000 for relinquishing their gear and $10,000 for turning in their permits. The legislation recommends an alternative, called deep-set buoy gear, that targets swordfish and significantly reduces the bycatch.
In 2016, Pew commissioned a poll that showed 86 percent of Californians would support a ban on drift gill nets. The United Nations banned the use of large drift gill nets in 1991, and in April, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced federal legislation to phase out the gear by 2020.
California is the only state that still issues permits for the gear. There are 20 active permit holders centered around Southern California.
The state brings in around $4 million in swordfish each year, the majority caught by longline boats in international waters. Between 15 and 30 percent of the catch came from drift gill net fishing boats in recent years.
The issue became inflammatory in April when an undercover video showing a fishermen cutting a shark out of his drift gill net went viral. Afterward, several fishermen, including Gary Burke of Santa Barbara, received anonymous death threats, and a fishing boat that appeared in the video mysteriously sank.
Burke and other drift gill net fishermen argue that they stay within strict bycatch limits agreed on by the Pacific Fishery Advisory Council, the agency that oversees their fishery. Theyre also concerned that the deep-set buoy gear recommended in SB1017 wont be as economically viable and has already resulted in catching one sea turtle by a California fisherman trying it out.
Burke called the bill yet another example of the state restricting its seafood industry to the point where there will be little fresh fish left in the local market, only frozen imports from countries with lower environmental standards than the United States.
The sad, sad part of this whole deal is California is going to lose a good fishery, said Burke, a member of the advisory council who has been a swordfish fisherman his whole career.
Burke points to recommendations from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, which gives the California drift gill net a yellow or good alternative rating, saying that while bycatch is a serious concern, the swordfish population is itself healthy and theres no impact on seafloor habitat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls the North Pacific swordfish a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Pew counters that half of what the drift gill nets bring up is bycatch, one-third of which is dead because the gear is left in the water overnight. (A large portion of the bycatch is finfish species that fishermen can sell in addition to the swordfish.)
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Bycatch is tracked by observers who go out with swordfish boats 20 percent of the time. From the 2010 to 2017 fishing seasons, observed bycatch included one leatherback sea turtle and two endangered sperm whales, as well as many different types of dolphins, seals and elephant seals. On average, observers witnessed the entrapment of about 13 marine mammals per year, almost all dead, or 66 marine mammals annually if extrapolated to 100 percent.
Over the past several years, some California fishermen have been trying out the deep-set buoy gear Pew and others are proposing that they adopt. Unlike the drift gill net, deep-set buoy gear uses hooks. The gear goes as far as 1,200 feet below the oceans surface to specifically target swordfish, is used during the day and has indicators for when something is caught.
When fisherman using the new gear caught a loggerhead sea turtle with it recently, he was able to release it immediately, and the on-boat observer saw the turtle swimming away, Shively said. The gear awaits final approval by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
SACRAMENTO State legislators approved a measure Thursday that would overturn a law allowing people to be charged with murder even if they were not directly involved in a killing.
SB1437 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, would change the states felony murder rule that holds an accomplice in an offense such as robbery liable for a homicide that happens during the crime, regardless of whether the defendant was involved in the killing.
Instead, the bill would allow a suspect to be charged with first-degree murder only if he or she was the actual killer, solicited the murder or aided the slaying in a way that showed a reckless indifference to human life. The bill exempts any case in which a police officer is killed.
The Senate approved the bill by 27-9, a day after the Assembly passed it on a vote of 42-36. It now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has until Sept. 30 to sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature. The governor has not indicated whether he would approve the bill.
Most people have no idea that you can be charged with murder and given a life sentence even if you didnt kill anyone, Skinner said. SB1437 is a fair and reasonable fix to Californias unjust felony murder rule.
Skinner pointed to a 2018 survey by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Restore Justice, which found that 72 percent of incarcerated women in the state with a life sentence did not personally commit the murders for which they were convicted. The average age of someone charged as an accomplice to murder is 20.
SB1437 would allow those who have been convicted under the felony murder rule to petition a court to be resentenced.
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Although the bill sailed through the Senate, supporters in the Assembly had to spend several hours lobbying hesitant Democrats to win the votes needed for passage.
We all recognize that the felony murder rule needs to be reformed, it needs to be changed, said Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County), who voted against the measure. Weve all heard somewhat anecdotal examples of people who have had minimal involvement or not showing of intent to commit murder but are convicted under the felony murder rule. But this bill is not the right solution.
Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
Bill Owens photo book, Suburbia, was quite the talk of Livermore in the 1970s. Residents of that East Bay town, 44 miles east and a world apart from San Francisco, didnt quite know what to make of the slice-of-life collection of shots of their friends and neighbors.
Was he mocking us? Was he celebrating us? He had to be saying something.
More than four decades later, Suburbia remains in print and is considered a classic by photojournalism professors who offer it as a textbook lesson in chronicling a culture.
As someone who grew up in Livermore in that era and couldnt wait to escape, I was always fascinated by the book, and always struck by how many passing mentions I heard about it from my photographer colleagues over the years.
Sam Whitings Aug. 21 piece about an Owens exhibit at UC Berkeley piqued my interest.
I just had to call Owens and find out once and for all: What was the message of this book by a young news photographer at the feisty local newspaper, the Independent? After all, I was among those who viewed the book as an indictment of the vacuousness of suburban life: with its dedication to conformity and obsessions with lawns, cars, RVs, TVs, home-cooked meals and meticulousness in all things material.
Bill Owens and an Exhibit of Suburbia His photography is on display from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday, through Jan. 7 at the Reva and David Logan Gallery of Documentary Photography, North Gate Hall, UC Berkeley. A reception and lecture with Owens in conversation with Professor Ken Light is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the gallery Sept. 14. For more information: https://bit.ly/2wnn4zK See More Collapse
I was a bit surprised to learn that Owens is not a critic of suburbia. In fact, at 80, he is an unapologetic suburbanite himself, living in Hayward. In 1970, when he began shooting for the book, he was a rookie newsman who had grown up on a farm in Citrus Heights near Sacramento, done a tour of duty in Jamaica with the Peace Corps, gone to college and found himself intrigued by this curious milieu he encountered.
I thought: Wow, its amazing this material world we live in and how quickly you could get there, Owens said. Our parents worked for decades to build a home and have two cars in the garage.
So he set out to document this new world. On weekdays, he did his work for the small-town newspaper. But every Saturday, for 52 straight weeks, he ventured out with his large-format camera to capture people in their everyday lives.
Its an honest look. ... Its not poof, Owens said. Its not a flattering look, its not a cynical look. ... Its an honest look at people pursuing the American dream.
One of the distinctive traits of Suburbia alternately lacing it with bursts of humor, poignancy and surprise is that the captions are the subjects own words. There is a story behind that. When Owens brought his finished collection to the publishing house, the first question he received was: Where are the release forms? Owens had assumed, as a journalist, he did not need them. Only he did.
So he went back to each subject to obtain permission and, in the process, asked them to craft their own captions.
You read the photography through your eyes, then the caption will flip it another way, he said. So you learn that they dont think and feel like you think they feel. I let them speak for themselves, which is very, very important.
What also makes Suburbia so noteworthy is its straightforward style with lighting techniques that illuminate the scene without attempting to embellish it.
Thats the magic of Bill Owens, said Kim Komenich, a professor of photojournalism at San Francisco State. It was as if he were on an anthropological mission studying a tribe.
And we are the tribe.
Komenich, who won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize in spot photography, took a class from Owens in his first semester at San Jose State in 1977. He was so inspired that he grabbed his camera and went out to imitate Bill Owens. He now includes Owens work in his classes and is producing a video documentary about Owens.
Renowned photographer Ken Light, a professor of photojournalism at UC Berkeley, noted that the simple and direct compositions in Suburbia offer an authentic feel for Livermore the promised land of this era.
Added Light: He really had his eyes and ears wide open, and found those simple, often ignored moments that many photographers overlooked.
Suburbia is not Owens only legacy, and photojournalism was merely his first avocation turned profession. He became a pioneer in craft beers, founding Buffalo Bills Brewery in 1983. The Hayward brew pub is now the longest running among the estimated 1,500 now operating in the U.S.
As an artist type, there is no money in the arts, especially in documentary photography, said Owens, explaining his career change. A few people collect my stuff. Prints sell for $3,500, but you sell five a year, and then one year you might sell 20 of them and the next year you sell three. You cant support yourself out of that.
He is widely credited with inventing pumpkin ale and is founder and president of the American Distilling Institute.
I ended up being a pretty good businessman, he said with a chuckle.
His is the quintessential suburban success story.
John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron
1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.
2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.
3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.
4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.
5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.
6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.
7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.
8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.
9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.
10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.
11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)
12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.
13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.
15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.
16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
18. Gain control of all student newspapers.
19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.
20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."
29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.
30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."
31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.
32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.
34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.
36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.
37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.
39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.
43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.
45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
Pop-up restaurants emerged in force in the Bay Area during the 2008 recession, when restaurateurs turned to the concept of the short-term eatery as a matter of financial necessity.
Since then, theyve stuck around because diners decided that pop-ups are also a chance to enjoy an exciting, intimate experience.
Whats not to love?
The Alameda County Environmental Health Department, apparently.
Last week, the chefs of Nokni, a 3-year-old pop-up restaurant in Oakland, were cooking dinner for clients. Nokni has operated out of a variety of permitted restaurants, often on days when they would be otherwise closed.
This collaborative approach is an increasingly common response toward restaurant operations in a difficult and expensive market. Other, similar responses include food trucks and rotating chefs. These experiments have been met with enthusiasm from Bay Area diners for years and in the case of guest chefs decades.
So the entire Bay Area restaurant community was surprised when a health department inspector walked into Nokni and issued a cease-and-desist notice.
The War on Pop-Up Restaurants Alameda County cracks down on pop-up restaurants; San Francisco says they're legal
There is no reference to pop-ups in the California Retail Food Code, said a manager for Alameda County Environmental Health. As pop-ups come to our attention or we receive complaints, such operations are closed.
Restaurants are allowed to feature guest chefs, as long as the chef works for the permitted operation; chefs operating under their own name in someone elses space are breaking the law. (Take that, Chez Panisse.)
Menu changes may require new permits if the new food wasnt originally approved for the facility. Oh, and all of this applies to food trucks, too.
The implications of its legal interpretation are tremendous and they could prevent the next generation of local chefs from building the following now necessary to open a restaurant in the Bay Area.
Other localities have chosen a different path.
San Francisco, for example, requires pop-ups to meet certain standards but doesnt ban them outright. This suggests theres plenty of room for interpretation in the statute, should Alameda County choose to moderate its regulations to match reality.
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.
FRED GREAVES / REUTERS
The Trump administration long ago abandoned any pretense that its anti-immigrant crackdown is about illegal immigration. The emerging question is whether its about immigration at all.
Officials have reportedly refused and revoked the passports of a growing number of U.S. citizens near the Mexican border, many of whom were likely born in the United States. What these Americans share with many of the immigrants in President Trumps crosshairs, legal and illegal alike, is their Latino heritage.
As a father of a high school senior headed for college, I hope my daughter goes to a California public university where comprehensive reproductive health care including the abortion pill is available at the student health center. There are no public universities in the state where that is true. The College Student Right to Access Act would change that.
College students seek abortion at a higher rate than other age groups, demonstrating the need for accessible and affordable care. For nearly 20 years, students have safely and effectively used the abortion pill. Theyve just been forced to do so off campus, which for some involves significant and unnecessary obstacles.
The abortion pill is simpler to provide than some of the care already offered at student health centers, where students go to manage acute and chronic health needs and receive a range of reproductive health care, from testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections to insertion and removal of long-acting contraceptives. Its not only possible, its critical that we integrate medication abortion into this setting, as it has been in other primary-care settings across California.
Training and equipment will be needed, but a consortium of funders has committed to providing the necessary support if the legislation, Senate Bill 320, becomes law. The consortium will provide funds for health care provider training, equipment, a security audit, and any upgrades needed to provide this service.
The reality is that antiabortion stigma driven by those who are actively working to ban abortion has prevented it from being offered more broadly. After almost 20 years of use in the United States and even longer experience in other countries we know that medication abortion is safe and effective.
It can and should be offered at every California student health center, but that wont happen unless the state sets the standard.
While we need to do more to improve access to contraception for students, we also have an obligation to support them when faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Leaving campus to access health care can mean taking time away from class or work and the added expense of travel, for some upward of four hours.
This is for students who do eventually get the care they need, but for others, these barriers to abortion can mean carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term. The impacts are long-term.
Studies show those who have a child while in college are less likely to graduate than those who do not. Supporting the academic and personal success of Californias students is good for them and for the state as a whole.
As a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCSF, I stand with my fellow experts in family planning across the UC medical campuses ready to help all student health centers implement medication abortion services.
With reproductive rights under attack, it is imperative that California set an example for what evidence- based womens health care looks like.
Daniel Grossman is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF and the director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, a research program at UCSF.
SATURDAY
Political realignment: Peace and Freedom Party sponsors a discussion, Are we seeing a major political realignment in the 2018 elections? Free. 2-4:30 p.m., Starry Plough pub, 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. More information is here.
THURSDAY
Climate politics: Environmental justice advocate Mustafa Ali, scientist and former House candidate Jess Phoenix and Mother Jones reporter Rebecca Leber discuss climate politics and the possibilities for grassroots action. Sponsored by Ben & Jerrys and FreeSpeechTV. $25. Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco. More information is here.
New citizen voting: Register new U.S. citizens to vote after they take oath of allegiance. Organized by Democracy Action. Two sessions, 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m., Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. More information is here.
SEPT. 7
Rent control: Organizing meeting in favor of Proposition 10, which would lift state rent-control restrictions on cities. Sponsored by the San Francisco Party for Socialism and Liberation. 7 p.m., 2969 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here.
SEPT. 8
Climate day of action: Rallies, town halls and community forums to call for action on climate change. San Francisco rally at 10 a.m. at Embarcadero Plaza. More information about that and other events is here.
SEPT. 9
Oakland Pride Festival: Oaklands Pride Parade and Festival is celebrated. Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. at 14th Street and heads up Broadway to 20th Street. Festival is held from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 20th and Broadway. More information is here.
SEPT. 10
LGBTQ and the high court: A discussion on the future of LGBTQ rights under a changing U.S. Supreme Court. Panelists include Elizabeth Gill, senior attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, and Joel Engardio of the San Francisco Examiner. Sponsored by United Democratic Club. 6:30-8 p.m., San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market St. More information is here.
SEPT. 11
Climate forums: UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy hosts a series of forums on climate change issues. $15 per symposium. 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., 555 Market St., San Francisco. More information is here.
Trump forum: San Francisco State University faculty members discuss America in the age of President Trump. Free. 3-5 p.m., Room 270 of the Science Building at San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. More information is here.
SEPT. 13
Climate damage: How countries, states and companies are using climate damage estimates to inform their decision-making. Panel discussion hosted by Institute for Policy Integrity. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; venue to be announced. More information is here.
Latin America and climate: An interactive session to discuss how networks of Latin American and Caribbean non-state actors are helping to raise raise climate ambition. 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy St., San Francisco. More information is here.
Tales of the City: University of Wisconsin English Professor Ramzi Fawaz discusses his oral history project on how Armistead Maupins Tales of the City serial in The Chronicle affected gay politics. $5. GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th St., San Francisco. More information is here.
SEPT. 15
Schools chief election forum: Candidates for state superintendent of public instruction, Tony Thurmond and Marshall Tuck, take part in a forum sponsored by Sistallect, California Black Media and Black Women Organized for Political Action. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. More information is here.
SEPT. 17-18
Constitution conference: Two-day conference on the 231st anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, focusing on the past, present and future of constitutional rights, freedoms, citizenship, democracy, equality and justice. Free. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. both days at the Paul Leonard Library and Cesar Chavez Student Center at San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. More information is here.
SEPT. 18
DeRay Mckesson: Black Lives Matter activist and Pod Save the People podcast host talks about his new book, On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. $35 for non-Commonwealth Club members, $10 for students. 6:30-7:45 p.m., Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco. More information is here.
SEPT. 20
Albany candidates: League of Women Voters sponsors a forum for Albany candidates for public office. 7-9 p.m., 1000 San Pablo Ave., Albany. More information is here.
Midterm run: Run 4 All Women sponsors a 4K run/walk to raise money and awareness for candidates trying to flip Congress. 6-8 p.m. at the Assembly, 449 14th St., San Francisco. More information is here.
SEPT. 22
Race and medicine: Panel discussion on the impact of race in medicine. Sponsored by the African American Community Health Advisory Committee and the African American Library Advisory Committee. 2-4 p.m., San Mateo Public Library, 55 West Third Ave. More information is here.
SEPT. 25
Get out the vote: Register to vote, learn about legislation affecting local communities and network with social justice advocates. Sponsored by Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. More information is here.
Truth decay: RAND Corp. CEO Michael Rich discusses truth decay the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, at the Commonwealth Club. $35 nonmembers, $10 students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.
SEPT. 26
Berkeley rent board: Candidates for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board take part in a forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 7-9 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. More information is here.
SEPT. 27
Iran and Trump: Covering Iran in the age of Trump: a conversation with reporters Melissa Etehad of the Los Angeles Times and Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post, moderated by San Francisco State journalism Professor Venise Wagner. 12:30-2 p.m., Room 587 of the Humanities Building, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. More information is here.
SEPT. 29
Tech politics: Candidates for statewide and Bay Area offices invited to discuss issues of importance to Silicon Valley and the technology industry. Sponsored by Royce Law LLC. Noon-4 p.m., Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco. More information is here.
SEPT. 30
Preventing nuclear war: Free forum marking 50th anniversary of Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty features ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern and anti-nuclear activists Jacqueline Cabasso and Marylia Kelley. Sponsored by San Francisco Public Library and Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament. 1 p.m., Main Public Librarys Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco. More information is here.
OCT. 2
Assembly candidates forum: Jovanka Beckles and Buffy Wicks, candidates in Assembly District 15 in the East Bay, participate in a League of Women Voters forum. 7-8:30 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. More information is here.
The Browns and California: Journalist Miriam Pawel, author of The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation, discusses Pat Brown, Jerry Brown and the modern history of the state, at the Commonwealth Club. $20 for nonmembers, $7 for students. 6-7:15 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.
OCT. 4
Francis Fukuyama: Political scientist and author Francis Fukuyama discusses identity politics. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. $25 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.
OCT. 5
Barbara Lee: Forum with Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, celebrating her 20th anniversary in Congress. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.
OCT. 16
D4 supervisor forum: Candidates for San Francisco supervisorial District Four participate in a forum sponsored by the Outer Sunset/Parkside Residents Association. 6-8:30 p.m., Ortega Branch Library, 3223 Ortega St., San Francisco. More information is here.
OCT. 18
Hacking politics: Keynote address for weekend conference on how the political system is being hacked. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Center for New Media, SFMOMAs Public Knowledge Initiative, the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and Boalt School of Law. Free. 6 p.m., Phyllis Wattis Theater, SFMOMA, 151 Third St., San Francisco. More information is here. Symposium runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19 at 310 Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall, UC Berkeley. More information is here.
OCT. 20
Race and politics: Panel discussion on the impact of race in politics. Sponsored by the African American Community Health Advisory Committee and the African American Library Advisory Committee. 2-4 p.m., San Mateo Public Library, 55 West Third Ave. More information is here.
To list an event, email Politics Editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle
SACRAMENTO Lawmakers approved a bill to ban gun shows at the Cow Palace on Thursday, sending the legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown.
SB221, by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would bar gun and ammunition sales at the state-owned exhibition hall in Daly City, just outside the San Francisco city limits, beginning in 2020. The Cow Palace now hosts gun shows five times a year.
Law enforcement agencies could still host gun buy-back events at the Cow Palace. The bill passed the Senate 26-12 on Thursday and the Assembly 44-31 on Monday.
Wiener said people living near the Cow Palace overwhelmingly support the ban.
This bill came to me because high school students and parents in my community are horrified that these gun shows are still happening, Wiener said. Our local communities know best, and in San Mateo County and San Francisco, the local communities are overwhelmingly supportive of ending these gun shows.
Lawmakers have tried and failed three times to end Cow Palace gun shows, with the most recent failure in 2013, when Brown vetoed a bill by then-Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. It would have required supervisors in San Francisco and San Mateo counties who were opposed to the shows to authorize them.
Brown has not said whether he will approve Wieners measure. He has until Sept. 30 to act or let the bill become law without his signature.
Opponents argued that banning gun shows would result in more than $730,000 in lost revenue to the Cow Palace in lease, parking and related fees, as well as an annual loss of more than $600,000 in sales tax revenue.
Other bills sent to Brown on Thursday:
Nightlife: San Francisco, Oakland and seven other California cities would be allowed to keep their bars open until 4 a.m. under SB905, also by Wiener.
Starting in 2021, the cities would be able to participate in a five-year pilot program that would extend the time alcohol can be served at bars, nightclubs and restaurants by two hours.
Conservatorships: San Francisco officials would have more control over who can be involuntarily held for mental-health treatment, under Weiners SB1045. The bill would allow the boards of supervisors in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles counties to create five-year pilot programs that expand conservatorship rules.
Murder: SB1437, by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, would change the states felony murder rule that holds an accomplice in an offense such as robbery liable for a homicide that happens during the crime, regardless of whether the defendant was involved in the killing.
Instead, the bill would allow a suspect to be charged with first-degree murder only if he or she is the actual killer, solicited the murder or aided the slaying in a way that showed a reckless indifference to human life. The bill exempts any case in which a police officer is killed.
Ex-inmate jobs: Inmates who receive career training in automotive repair, cosmetology, construction and other fields would find it easier to find jobs in those professions once they leave lockup under AB2138, by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco. It would prohibit state licensing boards from barring people with minor convictions from professions licensed by the state. Those with serious felonies could still be kept from such jobs.
Melody Gutierrez is a Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
SACRAMENTO Lawmakers approved a bill to ban gun shows at the Cow Palace on Thursday, sending the legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown.
SB221 by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would bar gun and ammunition sales at the state-owned exhibition hall in Daly City beginning in 2020. The Cow Palace now hosts gun shows five times a year.
Law enforcement agencies could still host gun buy-back events at the Cow Palace. The bill passed the Senate 26-12 on Thursday and the Assembly 44-31 on Monday.
Wiener said people living near the Cow Palace overwhelmingly support the ban.
This bill came to me because high school students and parents in my community are horrified that these gun shows are still happening, Wiener said. Our local communities know best, and in San Mateo County and San Francisco the local communities are overwhelmingly supportive of ending these gun shows.
Lawmakers have tried and failed three times to end Cow Palace gun shows, with the most recent rejection in 2013 when Brown vetoed a bill by then-Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. It would have required supervisors in San Francisco and San Mateo counties who were opposed to the shows to authorize them.
Brown has not said whether he will approve Wieners measure. He has until Sept. 30 to act or let the bill become law without his signature.
Opponents argued that banning gun shows would result in more than $730,000 in lost revenue to the Cow Palace in lease, parking and related fees, as well as an annual loss of more than $600,000 in sales tax revenue.
Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has nominated a Bayview-Hunters Point community organizer and an ex-federal prosecutor now working as a corporate attorney to the Police Commission.
Dion-Jay Brookter is the deputy director of Young Community Developers, which provides employment and educational services to Bayview residents. From 2016 until this year, Brookter served as executive director of the Southeast Community Facility Commission, which oversees the operations of the Southeast Community Facility, a community hub in the Bayview for job training, child care and other services.
San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods, and one of the most cohesive one that equally serves tourists and locals is North Beach.
With a strong Italian history, it is a neighborhood designed for walking, talking, strolling and hanging out. Whether its over coffee at Caffe Trieste, pastry at Victoria Bakery or a drink at the Saloon (the oldest bar in San Francisco), this is a neighborhood steeped in tradition.
For more than a century, Molinari has made dry-cured salami and Liguria Bakery has made focaccia bread. Graffeo, founded in 1935, is home to one of the oldest specialty coffee producers in the United States.
Its an area that still celebrates the classics, and the area continues to feel much as it did 50 years ago.
What follows is a list of some of my favorite restaurants in North Beach.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Baonecci Ristorante
Fourteen years ago Walter and Stefania Gambaccini left their home in Lucca, Italy, and took over the Danilo Bakery on Green Street. Slowly they transitioned the space into a full-service restaurant, changing the name along the way.
Today if you walk into the cozy restaurant with yellow pine wainscoting, youll likely find Walter or his son Elia in the front. They provide a grounding thats as solid as the food. Each dish is carefully prepared by Stefania, including the bresaolo, cured beef strewn with arugula with a lemony dressing and shavings of Parmesan.
The cracker-thin crust pizza is perfectly cooked try the version with prosciutto, Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and mushrooms ($20). This is one of the few pizzas that refuse to turn soggy.
Pasta Bolognese, made with both pork and beef, will transport diners to Bologna, and the filet mignon, sliced and strewn with cheese and arugula, is almost like a more refined version of steak Florentine. From start to finish, this restaurant offers something a cut above most other places in the area.
516 Green St., 415-989-1806 or www.caffebaonecci.com. Dinner Monday-Friday. Noon-9:30 p.m. Saturday.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle
Capos
Tony Gemignani, who also owns Tonys Pizza Napoletana and Tonys Slice House, continued to up his pizza presence in North Beach when he opened Capo near the end of 2012. He was trying to replicate a Chicago supper club, with the brick walls and red tufted booths that match the upholstered door that leads to the kitchen. It feels like Lyndon Johnson is still the president when you walk in the dimly lit room, hear the jazz trio, see diners lining the bar and view the menu.
Pizza is at the heart of the experience, of course. He features more than a dozen topping combinations available in four styles: thin crust, deep dish, stuffed and cooked in a cast-iron skillet. These are pizzas like youd find a half century ago with lush tomato sauce and prolific toppings.
The main courses have the same massive portions that helped lend credence to the idea that dining out is a high-caloric endeavor. If you order the Calabrese sausage for $20, youll get four fat links on a mountain of creamy but spicy tomato sauce with caramelized onions and red peppers, along with a side such as mashed potatoes or spinach with garlic.
Capos is a pleasant throwback that attracts Millennials as well as those who are reliving their youth.
641 Vallejo St., 415-986-8998. www.sfcapos.com. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2011
Sotto Mare
Every inch of wall space and much of the ceiling is crowded with photos and bric-a-brac that seem to have been infused with the permanent aroma of garlic and tomato sauce. The restaurant satisfies just about every stereotype of a North Beach restaurant.
This is the place for pasta with seafood, sand dabs in simple butter sauce youll get four fish fillets splayed on the plate and a great version of crab cioppino in a spicy tomato sauce with pasta tubes hiding at the bottom.
At first it was disconcerting to find pasta in the stew, but its one of the best ways to utilize the sauce thats filled with herbs and seafood liqueur.
552 Green St., 415-398-3181 or www.sottomaresf.com. Dinner continuously 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Firenze by Night
Back in the 1990s, chef Sergio Giusti was named one of the top U.S. Italian chefs by the Best of the Best and the restaurant still displays a Five Star emblem on its door.
The world has changed since then, but Firenze by Night hasnt. It still has the mural of Florence along one wall, the dark blue glowing ceiling to represent nightfall, and the partly open kitchen in back of the dining room filled with a sea of white-clothed tables.
The waiters all wear vests and speak with an Italian accent, and the food makes you feel like youve found a coveted spot on a side street near the Duomo.
The restaurant is best known for two dishes: the pillowy gnocchi in a creamy tomato sauce and pappardelle sauced with a rabbit and tomato ragout that has an earthy finish.
The restaurant also serves such items as steak Florentine; petrale sole encased in a thin batter and served with lemon sauce; and a good example of saltimbocca with layers of veal, prosciutto and mozzarella that bloom in the lemon butter sauce spiked with sage.
For dessert: a good, but not great, version of tiramisu.
1429 Stockton St., 415-392-8585 or www.firenzebynightsf.com. Dinner nightly.
Craig Lee / The Chronicle
Da Flora
When you walk into the corner storefront where the walls and ceiling are painted crimson and a Murano chandelier hangs in the center of the room, youll likely encounter Darren Lacy, who owns the restaurant with his wife and chef, Jen McMahon.
Shes been in the kitchen for more than 15 years and has become known for her sweet potato gnocchi with smoked bacon, and spice-rubbed pork chop that sits in the middle of the plate atop sauteed spinach, marinated artichokes and a sauce spiked with whole grain mustard.
While the food definitely has Italian underpinnings and the wine list concentrates on Italian varietals there are some Mediterranean influences in such dishes as the slow-braised lamb shank with couscous.
The food is carefully prepared and less cliched than many restaurants surrounding it. Theres always some seasonal finds, which in spring includes fava bean crostini with Meyer lemon oil and mustard flowers; and roast asparagus with lemon aioli and smoked prosciutto.
For dessert the lemon cake with Meyer lemon curd is a fine way to finish.
701 Columbus Ave., 415-981-4664 or www.daflora.com. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday.
Jen Fedrizzi/Special to the Chronicle
Betty Lous Seafood and Grill
Near the end of 2016, three stalwarts from Sotto Mare sisters Betty Pesce and Louise Taylor, along with chef Hector Chaparro broke off to open this seafood grill on Columbus.
Betty Lous looks like a cross between a 50s American diner and an Italian trattoria. While the interior has a bright feel, the menu has classic appeal and includes an excellent cioppino, seafood linguine and sand dabs.
Specialties include soju shooters with oysters or clams; and Mikes wok crab where pieces of the shellfish are tossed in scallions, ginger and soy.
While the menu is similar to Sotto Mare, the service is more personable, offering a warmth that embraces even first-time visitors.
318 Columbus Ave., 415-757-0569 or www.bettyloussf.com. Dinner Monday-Wednesday; lunch and dinner Thursday-Sunday.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Calzones
If you want to observe North Beach streetlife, Calzones offers a perfect vantage point. More than a dozen oval tables line the tiled sidewalk in front, with all the chairs looking out over Columbus.
Like the tables, most plates are oval and oversize, and even the thin-crust pizza has the same shape. Portions are big enough for two, including a basic but well-prepared Caesar salad. The same goes for pasta dishes such as house-made spinach noodles with shellfish or fresh pappardelle with asparagus, chicken and almonds.
Of course, there is calzone, a pizza folded into a half-moon, and its a big seller.
The restaurant uses Acme pain au levain for crostini that can be topped at least 10 ways, such as crab and artichoke, or marinated eggplant, or sausage and avocado. These are great with a cocktail for a midafternoon snack.
430 Columbus Ave., 415-397-3600 or www.calzonesf.com. Lunch and dinner 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. nightly.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle
Original Joes
No restaurant captures the ethos of the Italian American culinary repertoire better than this 62-year-old restaurant. It lived for years in the Tenderloin but more than a decade ago a fire gutted the original space. This allowed the Duggan family to reinvent the restaurant in North Beach. It took five years to find the location and rebuild, but it was worth the wait. Theyve reproduced a similar Rat Pack vibe with tufted booths, an open kitchen with seating in front, and efficient waiters in tuxedos.
The food offers something for every palate: cobb salad, crab Louie, meatballs (excellent), prime rib, liver and onions, veal piccata and 10 pastas.
In addition every main course includes a side of ravioli or spaghetti. For dessert dont pass up the butter cake thats big enough for the table.
Cocktails are reasonably priced, so the bar is always busy. This is a bipartisan restaurant: It equally pleases the meat-and-potato crowd and the gourmands.
601 Union St., 415-775-4877 or www.originaljoessf.com. Open continuously for lunch and dinner daily; weekend brunch.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Pasta Pop-Up
Francesco Covucci and Peter Fazio followed up their wildly popular pizza restaurant, Il Casaro, with a pasta extravaganza. The menu concentrates on house-made pasta both traditional and creative reasonably priced at $11 to $15. If you have a craving for pasta, this place beats most of its North Beach competitors.
Covucci makes red beet spaghetti paired with goat cheese, and matches ribbons of pappardelle with six-hour braised lamb shoulder. Linguine is the right noodle for Dungeness crab in a lemony sauce with olive oil and parsley; and spinach cappelletti are stuffed with ricotta and fennel, and sauced with brown butter studded with raisins.
The kitchen also does a nice job on fritto misto and produces one of the best tiramisu desserts.
550 Green St., 415-433-5800 or www.pastapopupsf.com. Dinner 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
Michael Bauer / The Chronicle
Il Pollaio
Since 1984 Giuseppe Castellucci has owned this popular restaurant that specializes in chicken marinated in herbs. The chicken is then butterflied and grilled to a deep mahogany burn.
The chicken is $11 for half and $18 for whole, rubbed with spices and served with wedges of lemon.
Chicken is a touchstone in many cultures, and daughter Paula Castellucci Bautista, who now runs the show, says shes always surprised when people from the Middle East, South America, France and Italy tell her the chicken brings back memories of their childhood.
Another specialty is grilled rabbit that comes with slices of thick tomatoes garnished with fresh herbs and a side of either salad or thick-cut fries. The menu also includes lamb chops and rib eye steak, accompanied by chimichurri, celebrating the familys Argentinian connection. The modest storefront is the place to not only get great chicken but to strike up a conversation with a local.
555 Columbus Ave., 415-362-7727. Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Tonys Pizza Napoletana
Although Napoletana is in the restaurants name, its only one style of pizza offered by Tony Gemignani, a 12-time World Pizza Champion.
Hes so focused that with each type of pizza, he includes by what method it is fired and the temperature, whether its Classic American (550 degrees gas), coal-fired (1,000 degrees) or Detroit (550 degrees gas).
The only problem is deciding which one to order. I usually head toward the thin-crust Roman or the margherita (900 degree wood-fired) that won the chef the big prize in Naples in 2007. He only makes 73 of those a day.
The pizza menu is rounded out with such items as pasta, a giant meatball made of veal, beef and pork, and appetizers like deep-fried green beans. No wonder there is almost always a line waiting to get in.
1570 Stockton St., 415-835-9888 or www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com. Open continuously for lunch and dinner daily.
Jen Fedrizzi / Special to The Chronicle
Il Casaro Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar
This upstart pizzeria has quickly become a local favorite since it opened in 2014. The domed, red-tiled oven is in the middle of the space and produces a good Neapolitan-style pizza, made distinctive by its vibrant tomato sauce backed by a hint of smokiness.
The margherita is the go-to pie, but the namesake version with mozzarella, Grana Padano cheese, mushrooms and prosciutto is a close second.
The restaurant also serves excellent antipasti, including shishito peppers, roasted cauliflower, meatballs in tomato sauce and kale Caesar salad.
The modern interior with large windows overlooking the street lends an open, airy feel.
348 Columbus Ave., 415-677-9455 or www.ilcasaropizzeria.com. Lunch and dinner served continuously daily.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle
Tonys Coal Fired Pizza and Slice House
Next door to his main restaurant, Tony Gemignani keeps the pizza flowing. Diners will find up to a dozen toppings displayed in a glass case. Mixing it up as usual, he offers two different styles: New Haven and the bready New York-style Sicilian shaped into a rectangle.
The New Haven pizza includes one with chunks of sausage, pepperoni, black olives, strips of yellow peppers and loads of cheese. Slices cost $5 to $6.50 each.
Diners can take it away or dine outside at tables on the adjoining parklet.
1556 Stockton St., 415-835-9888 or www.tonyscoalfired.com. Open continuously for lunch and dinner daily.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Golden Boy Pizza
Since 1978 this hole-in-the-wall has been the place to go for an inexpensive slab of pizza. A square of the thick pizza is generously loaded with cheese and other toppings, a true belly bomb for less than $5.
Diners line up outside and order at the counter just inside the door. Some eat at the narrow counter in back, but most take it to go.
Its a particularly popular stop for those who make a night of it at one of the abundant bars in the neighborhood. One slice will no doubt help to absorb as much alcohol as a roll of Bounty paper towels.
542 Green St., 415-982-9738 or www.goldenboypizza.com. Open continuously for lunch and dinner daily, until 11:30 p.m. weeknights and until 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle
Italian Homemade Company
If you follow Travel Advisor and other crowdsourced websites, this quick-casual restaurant is always near the top of the best of list. The food is good, but the reasonable prices and ample portions are what put it on top.
Diners order at the counter and take a seat (if one is available) to wait for their mounds of pasta centered on thick paper plates to be delivered.
A board above the order counter lists eight house-made pastas such as pappardelle, gnocchi and vegetarian ravioli that diners match with their choice of eight sauces, which includes Bolognese, meatballs, pesto, and butter and sage. Pastas range from about $9 to $13; and sauces are $2 to $3.50.
They also are known for the piadina, a folded flatbread sandwich filled with meat and cheese.
With the constant lines, crowded bar-height tables and the overflowing trash cans, it feels like a feeding frenzy.
The restaurant opened in 2014 and now has locations on Union Street and in Berkeley. It also offers packaged pasta, sauces and other condiments to take home.
716 Columbus Ave., 415-712-8874 or www.italianhomemadecompany.com. Open continuously for lunch and dinner daily.
North Beach Restaurant
By the force of his gregarious personality Lorenzo Petroni made his restaurant a big draw for locals. He died four years ago, and his son Leo Petroni is now at the front of the house.
Chef Bruno Orsi was a serious Italian chef, and he became known for the dozens of prosciutto he hung in the basement to cure. Now Gilberto Urena carries on the tradition.
The interior is filled with cherrywood paneling and references to Tuscany, but there are still cloths on the tables and waiters in tuxes as its been since the place opened in 1970.
Of course, you have to have the prosciutto, a highlight in the antipasto for two that also includes marinated calamari and veal shank. Polenta soup is a house specialty. This is also one of the few places to get the classic abalone dore.
The restaurant also has one of the best wine cellars with more than 500 selections covering every region of Italy.
Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.
1512 Stockton St., 415-392-1700 or www.northbeachrestaurant.com. Open continuously for lunch and dinner until 11:45 p.m. daily.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2016
Original U.S. Restaurant
Like a cat, this restaurant seems to have nine lives. The origins date back at least a century and it has been housed in at least three locations on Columbus Avenue. In March of 2015 it was given last rites, but rose from the dead in December of that year.
The restaurant specializes in Sicilian cuisine. Pasta with red sauce and red wine is the order of choice.
At lunch many diners head to the warm cabucio Sicilian sandwich filled with grilled eggplant, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Regional dishes are noted on the menu and include spaghetti Trapanese with fresh tomatoes, pesto and almonds; and rigatoni alla Norma with tomato sauce, eggplant and tomato. Theres also a Sicilian seafood stew, a must-order for anyone searching for a good cioppino.
Of course, youll also find the items that appear on just about every North Beach menu, including petrale sole, veal piccata and chicken Marsala.
414 Columbus Ave., 415-398-1300 or www.originalusrestaurant.com. Open continuously 11 a.m-10 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday, and until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Mason Trinca / Special to The Chronicle 2017
Tommasos
The gold plaque outside this restaurants tells you why this windowless, cramped restaurant is special. It was started in 1935, and the owners installed the first wood-fired pizza oven on the West Coast.
The restaurant started as Lupos but the name changed and it has been in the Crotti family since the early 1970s.
Theyve been making their pies in the same oven for more than 80 years using oak wood, which imparts a mild smokiness to the crust. So you might say this is ground zero for pizza.
Even today theres often a wait for a table as people are lured down the stairs by the aroma of baking crusts and tomato sauce. The interior hasnt changed much over the years. The walls are filled with memorabilia, and above the booths that line the perimeter are murals of Italy with the cracked patina that comes with age.
Naturally, you should try the pizza, with your choice of about 20 combinations. Small (12-inch) pizzas range from $19 to $24, and largefrom $24 to $30. The crust is thicker than most newer places, and the toppings almost always with marinara sauce and mozzarella are generous.
To start theres a good Caesar salad, spicy with garlic. The menu also features more than a dozen pastas and classic main courses such as veal Parmesan.
1042 Kearny St., 415-398-9696 or www.tommasos.com. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle
Caffe Delucci
This restaurant flies under the radar, but the food is surprisingly well prepared.
The handsome interior features windows that overlook the juncture of Green, Columbus and Stockton. Its also open continuously for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it a good place to hang out.
The Caesar salad is particularly good, and the restaurant also knows how to prepare beef carpaccio, generously topped with lemon slices, capers, arugula, threads of red onions and grated Parmesan cheese. Pastas include a pleasant Bolognese, spaghetti and meatballs, and linguine vongole with clams in white wine sauce.
The menu is rounded out with nightly main course specials such as braised lamb shanks, and a half-dozen pizzas.
500 Columbus Ave., 415-393-4515 or www.caffedelucchi.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle 2018
E Tutto Qua
Located in the original Bank of America (then known as the Bank of Italy), this two-story building with soaring arched windows has been the home of this Roman-inspired restaurant for the past decade.
Chef-owner Enzo Pellico is from Rome and goes back frequently for inspiration. Service has a familial quality where everyone is cheerful and accommodating.
A signature appetizer is carpaccio of chilled octopus drizzled with lemon dressing and dotted with olives, capers and onions. Pellico specializes in pasta, and hes known for paccheri golosi, where large pasta tubes capture the creamy sauce with porcini mushrooms, prosciutto and truffle oil. Those are only two of the 16 pastas on the menu.
Main courses include a chicken breast rolled and stuffed with prosciutto, fontina and spinach, and a 12-ounce veal chop presented simply with herbs and capers.
There are also thin Roman-style pizzas, but the pastas truly star here.
270 Columbus Ave., 415-989-1002 or www.etuttoqua.com. Open nightly for dinner.
Other than Italian:
Chad Ziemendorf / The Chronicle
Don Pistos
Once in a while you might want something other than Italian, and Don Pistos is a top alternative.
This Mexican restaurant goes well beyond enchilada and taco plates. You can get a 2-pound lobster cooked in pork fat and served with griddled tortillas, beans and rice. The sweetness of the lobster seems to be intensified by the dunk in fat and the accompanying cilantro butter.
The restaurant also offers pork tamales, intense with chiles; carnitas tacos; Mexican sashimi made with local salmon; and mussels with chorizo.
An excellent margarita is made with agave wine, and they even have a hamburger where the meat is mixed with onions sauteed in bacon fat. The meat marinates overnight before being ground with crisp strips of bacon. Its served on a bun with a thick layer of guacamole.
Even the interior has a different vibe with an open kitchen and brick walls; it still reminds me of the time it was an Argentinian restaurant.
510 Union St. (near Grant), 415-395-0939 or www.donpistos.com. Dinner nightly. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.
Park Tavern
For years this restaurant overlooking Washington Square Park was Mooses, a popular local hangout. Since 2012 Park Tavern has carried on that tradition with its impressive decor that includes a beamed ceiling, tile floors and walls, and rich wood accents. Theres also a line of tables in front that overlook the park.
Chef Jennifer Puccio has become known for her Brussels sprout chips; Devils on Horseback (smoked prawns wrapped in lardo); and poulet noir, where the chicken is roasted upright surrounded by seasonal vegetables.
To keep the party going the restaurant features a monthly changing birthday cake. No matter who orders it they get a candle to blow out.
The bar always seems to be full thanks to the strong, well-crafted cocktails, including the boozy Country Lawyer.
1652 Stockton St., 415-989-7300 or www.parktavernsf.com. Dinner nightly; brunch weekends.
John Storey / Special to The Chronicle
Cafe Jacqueline
Few restaurants evoke the romance of this restaurant where for the past 39 years Jacqueline Margulis has stood behind the counter whisking souffles to order.
While the restaurant features a few salads, such as watercress with mustard vinaigrette, and the obligatory onion soup, the rest of the menu consists of souffles: a dozen or more savory combinations such as white corn and ginger; salmon and asparagus; gruyere and mushroom. Then theres the dessert souffle: lemon (my favorite); chocolate Grand Marnier; and another using seasonal fruit.
The interior evokes the charm of a quaint French cafe, making this the place for a languid dinner. Souffles take time, especially when theres only one person making them, but they are some of the best youll ever encounter.
So sit back, relax, have a few glasses of wine and rise to the occasion.
1454 Grant Ave., (415) 981-5565. Dinner 5:30-11 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
The House
Think back 24 years to 1994, when Asian fusion was having its moment in the spotlight. Larry and Angela Tse opened the House to celebrate the intersection of cultures in North Beach.
Most fusion restaurants have closed, but the Tses have developed a loyal following of locals who come in for the warm wasabi noodles with flat-iron steak, the Hawaiian beef and papaya salad with a spicy vinaigrette, and green bean tempura with soy and pickled ginger dipping sauce.
While its kind of a blast from the past, Tse is good at blending cultures and staying the course. His customers appreciate it.
1230 Grant Ave., 415-986-8612 or www.thehse.com. Lunch Monday-Saturday. Dinner nightly.
Michael Bauer is The San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic and editor at large. Email: mbauer@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michaelbauer1 Instagram: @michaelbauer1
The first West Coast Jeffrey boutique, in the making for over a year, opened Aug. 29 at Palo Altos Stanford Shopping Center with a splashy VIP cocktail party that drew former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Atherton angel investor Noosheen Hashemi, 23andme co-founder Anne Wojcicki, capital lead for Square Jacqueline Reses, Birdies co-founder Bianca Gates, and Apple Vice President Paul Deneve and wife Anne-Sophie.
With its warehouse-like bones, the highly anticipated new store feels both appropriately Californian and very much like the existing Jeffrey boutiques in Atlanta and New York that are known for their curated selection of designer clothing and accessories.
To me, the climate here is 12 months-out-of-the-year beautiful, says owner-founder Jeffrey Kalinsky, 56. Why feel cooped up in the store? Other stores have million-dollar art on the wall; here its all about the merchandise, he says of the bright white and sunny scheme. Its simple; hopefully it doesnt feel intimidating, it feels welcoming.
Hours before the stores official opening, The Chronicle got the first tour from Kalinsky, who was feeling excited about his first new location in 19 years.
Drew Altizer Photography
I keep thinking its going to pass, Kalinsky says. I get emotional, then I get hysterical, then I need someone to help me calm down. I cant believe how emotional this feels.
The 12,000-square-foot space is laid out with rotating visual displays (its currently a mannequin tableau in head-to-toe Dries Van Noten) in the stores front entrance facing El Camino Real with womens shoes as the stores centerpiece. Kalinsky says the store is roughly two-thirds womens apparel and accessories with the remaining third devoted to mens. Womens designers include Van Noten, Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, Greg Lauren, Junya Watanabe, Jacquemus, Mihara Yasuhiro, Molly Goddard and Simone Rocha. The pieces range from classic Palo Alto perennials like flared navy trousers and knits to more fashion-forward graffiti-embellished outerwear by Balenciaga and tromp loeil cotton dresses by Edda, a newer brand named one to watch by the New York Times.
Something like an Edda dress allows a woman to wear something she knows no one else is probably going to have, Kalinsky says.
Its all part of Kalinskys philosophy of helping a client create a wardrobe thats not only right for them, but right for the occasions of their lifestyle, which can include everything from office life to special-dress evenings.
While womens shoes are mostly centered in the space among banks of padded white Barcelona-styled lounge chairs Kalinsky also has other shoes and accessories mixed in with different brands, so you see a Celine bag with the Celine purse and the Celine shoes, says Kalinsky. You can see a brands whole story, its not in a mausoleum, Kalinsky adds, referring to the often dark marble in-store boutiques frequently seen at other retailers.
I like that you can easily see Dior in relation to Saint Laurent in relation to Gucci without having to go from one separate area to another.
The mens inventory also mixes more streetwear-influenced pieces and classics, with brands including Gosha Rubchinskiy, Comme des Garcons Play, Martine Rose, Off-White, Cold Wall, R13, RTA, John Elliott, Isabel Marant, Palm Angels, Heron, Noon Goons, Ami, Dries, Gucci, Dior as well as a curated selection of vintage T-shirts.
While much of the menswear is more daring and youth-focused than, say, fellow Stanford retailers Wilkes Bashford or Brooks Brothers, Kalinsky says he doesnt think in terms of age when buying; he thinks in terms of mentality.
I may not be young but I live in John Elliott sweatpants and Isabel Marant T-shirts, says the boyish Kalinsky, who wore an embroidered Gucci sweater and sneakers to the opening. I dress for me. Ultimately, he says, the secret to balancing the department is to have things that were special and things that were for any guy. Its about range.
Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.
Party attendees demonstrated that range, showing up in colorful designer frocks, daring fashion black and statement footwear. Although sparkling wine and tiny bites were served, most of the 200 attendees were more interested in chatting and shopping at this high-energy gathering. A posse of attentive sales staff was on hand to procure and ring up items.
Even the stores dressing rooms are light and spacious: This is where it happens, Kalinsky says. If you come here to shop with me, you dont go through the store; its all brought to you here.
As finishing touches were being made before the opening, Kalinsky acknowledged that even though his three stores carry his name, Its just such a ginormous group effort.
Its been a long journey, but Im really blessed there are three people here from Atlanta who have worked for me for longer than 20 years who are a kind of family, says Kalinsky. They really made this happen. Flowers have been coming today (for congratulations), it feels emotional and you share that with the team.
Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com. Style editor Laura Compton contributed to this report.
The dramatic volcanic eruption in a remote corner of Hawaii Island that began in May and quieted in early August has changed the landscape for visitors and residents across the island, now drying off from Hurricane Lanes historic rainfall on its windward side.
The physical changes are most apparent in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Puna District. After a series of spring earthquakes, lava started draining from the Puu Oo vent and Halemaumau Crater in the park and eventually began pouring from fissures in Punas Lower East Rift Zone.
Although largely rural, the region eventually lost some 700 homes in the inland Leilani Estates subdivision and the coastal Kapoho Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots developments, which included numerous vacation rentals. Molten rock also evaporated the water in crater-hidden Green Lake; covered Ahalanui warm pond and Waiopae tide pools, popular with local and out-of-state visitors; and entirely filled in Kapoho Bay.
In the national park, which closed all but its southwestern Kahuku Unit on May 11, frequent temblors cracked roads and water pipes while earthquake-like collapses at the summit caused Halemaumau Crater to quadruple in size. But a ray of sunshine emerged during the gathering clouds of Hurricane Lane: Park superintendent Cindy Orlando announced plans to reopen at least some of the summit area by Sept. 22, National Public Lands Day. At press time, no collapses had occurred since Aug. 2.
The figurative changes to the landscape have also been significant. Despite the volcanos limited area of impact, viral videos of spewing lava seem to have deterred many travelers from touring the rest of the Big Island. So did exaggerated media accounts of related hazards such as vog, a kind of air pollution caused by sulfur dioxide and ash particles, and laze, a toxic steam confined to lavas entry into the ocean.
Cruise ships temporarily stopped calling in Kailua-Kona and Hilo, while hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants and tour companies saw notable dips in reservations during the peak summer season. Lodging providers in Volcano Village were particularly hard hit, but the entire island experienced repercussions.
We had a slew of cancellations when it first happened, said Christie Cash, owner of Puakea Ranch rental cottages near Hawi, near the islands northern tip. Now the volcano is still going, but the activity is much less and the vog emission is much less. Its clear skies in Kona, and of course in North Kohala we always had clear skies. I think that peoples perception of Hawaii is that if anythings happening on the island, its affecting the entire island, even though North Kohala was the farthest point from where the volcanic activity was actually happening.
At press time, sulfur dioxide emissions from Kilauea and the Lower East Rift Zone had drastically reduced, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which noted they were at their lowest levels since late 2007 shortly before a plume of ash started billowing from Halemaumau for the next decade. While the recent USGS report also observed its too early to know for sure if the lava flow has stopped or merely paused, citing a 3-month pause during the 1969-74 Mauna Ulu eruption, park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said, We are actively considering and making short-term repairs to safely reopen at least part of the park.
In the meantime, the park has expanded hours and activities offered at its Kahuku Unit the site of Mauna Loas immense 1868 lava flow and rare salmon-hued lehua blossoms and hosts programs at the Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo and the Volcano Arts Center in Volcano Village. A temporary park store, which helps fund park programs, has opened in Hilos Prince Kuhio Plaza.
Tour operators have also come up with alternative itineraries. Instead of walking through the parks Thurston Lava Tube, for example, KapohoKine Adventures clients explore the even longer and less-developed Kaumana Caves in Hilo. While five of its tours have been affected by the park closure, Hawaii Forest and Trails Epic Island Journey now offers exclusive access to Kapapala Ranch, a 165-year-old working ranch on the border of Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes that provides a view of Halemaumau Crater.
Most of the eruption zone south of Pahoa remains off-limits to visitors, too. Flights by Blue Hawaiian and Paradise helicopter companies give a breathtaking overview of the destruction and creation including new black sand beaches wrought by the torrents of lava. Lava boat tours continued at press time as well.
For updates on the park and volcanic activity, see nps.gov/havo.
It didn't take long for Fremont police to catch a man suspected of driving under the influence on Thursday afternoon. He crashed directly into the Police Department.
The driver, whose identity has not been released, reportedly hopped the curb at Stevenson Boulevard, zipped up a small grassy hill and crashed into the Fremont Police Department, officials said via tweet.
A former college student is suspected of impersonating a doctor at California hospitals on multiple occasions.
Ariya Ouskouian, 23, of Irvine, allegedly impersonated a physician at the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and University of California, Irvine seven times between April 23 and June 4, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
During one alleged incident in a consult room at UCI, where Ouskouian was a former student, the defendant posed as a doctor and diagnosed a man about a growth on his neck, the DA said.
To clear security, Ouskouian allegedly claimed to have lost his hospital badge and requested a temporary one. Hospital staff eventually became suspicious of the defendant and requested verification of his doctor status, at which point he allegedly provided the name of a UCI personnel member.
CHOC said it reported Ouskouian to authorities and assisted in alerting hospitals in the area.
"During limited time on our campus, we believe this individual did not interact with any of our patients," CHOC said in a statement. "The individual did not have any access to patient health information."
Police arrested Ouskouian on Tuesday. He was released from the Orange County Jail the next day after posting $20,000 bond, jail records indicate.
Ouskouian is being tried on one felony charge and eight misdemeanors. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and eight years in Orange County Jail.
Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
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Affordable housing is in short supply up and down the West Coast, but in Santa Cruz, the situation is so dire that a university has reached out to faculty and staff asking them to take students into their homes.
ALSO: It'll take this Bay Area city 966 years to meet its 22-year housing goal
In an email to faculty and staff, the UC Santa Cruz director of housing implored its employees to consider renting spare rooms in their homes to students who are languishing on waiting lists for housing, KSBW reported this week.
"We currently have several hundred students without housing guarantees on the waiting list for housing, and not nearly enough housing in our available Community Rentals listing," Housing Services Executive Director Dave Keller wrote in an email.
UC Santa Cruz used the same strategy to encourage faculty and staff to open their homes to students back in 2014, with some success, officials said.
The school is trying to build more housing, but there's community opposition to the new construction, Student Housing West, part of which would be located on a meadow that was originally designated to remain undeveloped as part of the campus's 2005 land-use plan.
Student Housing West would yield a net increase of about 2,100 beds for students, campus spokesman Scott Hernandez-Jason said.
Emeritus UCSC humanities professor Jim Clifford, one of the more prominent figures in the opposition, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel building on the meadow would be "a radical break with 50 years of design history and practice on the campus" a claim doctoral student Dan Killam dismissed as "NIMBYism in really its raw extreme form."
A petition opposing development on the meadow garnered 38,000 signatures earlier this year, according to the Sentinel.
Meanwhile, the school is planning to grow the size of its student body by 10,000 students to about 28,000 total by 2040, Chancellor George Blumenthal announced in January.
One student, Chayla Fisher, told KSBW she was "very pissed off" at the school's failure to plan to provide adequate housing.
"I feel like this plan isn't thought out," she said of the school's request that staff house students. "It's definitely a last-minute scramble for them to try and fix this."
Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter
With a space as vast as Black Rock City, attendees at this year's Burning Man might not have noticed the 14-foot cage on a trolley carrying buckets of ice.
Members of Mijente, a Latinx national advocacy group, organized Friday's art installation to emphasize and educate the public about the role tech firms such as Palantir and Amazon play in bolstering the work done by ICE. Palantir, a Bay Area software company, has been repeatedly called upon to end its contract with ICE.
Amazon workers have called for the company to drop its contract with Palantir and discontinue its facial recognition contracts with law enforcement, Gizmodo reported.
"We've been tracking this for a while how Palantir has been developing programs and services for ICE that ICE itself describes as mission critical," Jacinta Gonzalez, field director for Mijente, told SFGATE.
ICE officials have been using a Palantir-built software program known as Investigative Case Management, or ICM. The program is maintained under a $51 million contract with ICE that was granted to the tech company in 2014.
ICE uses Palantir's software to gather information about undocumented immigrants' phone records, employment statuses, and more.
Palantir representatives did not respond to multiple requests to comment by the time of publication.
In July, Mijente protested the contract at Palantir's headquarters in Palo Alto. This will be their first time taking their activism to Burning Man, Gonzalez said.
The organizers chose Burning Man partly because of how many tech workers attend the event. The organization could only afford to cover the cost for two attendees, as a ticket for one person can cost anywhere from $190 to $1,200.
The duo representing Mijente at Burning Man Jackie Fielder and Marcos Ramirez are not officially employed by the organization. They attempted to have the art installation near a concentration of Plug 'n' Plays, luxurious camps frequented by tech execs.
The Mijente reps distributed free ice in exchange for a "quick lesson" about how Palantir's software is used to to advance the detainment and separation of thousands families at the border. They also handed out fans with photos of Palantir CEO Alex Karp and Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, on them with, "Who's behind ICE?" plastered on the back.
Gonzalez said she hopes that the event will be a learning experience for tech workers, particularly those who work for Palantir, and an opportunity for them to become aware of or consider the roles they may play in the crisis at the border.
But it's equally targeted toward tech leaders.
"It's for them to really think about what does it mean to be on the side of civil rights? What does it mean to really not do evil?" she said.
The desert landscape is also critical, she said, in exposing a powerful paradox.
"You have folks at these tech companies that both work at these companies and also the CEOs of these companies, being able to go and let their hair down and enjoy themselves, while in similar deserts, not very far away, there are detention centers full of children and parents being locked up for crossing the border thanks to the programming that some of these tech companies are offering," she said.
Its the most wonderful time of the year and by that, I mean the lazy, late days of summer. New insights from Google also reveal that right now might also be the best time to start thinking about your holiday travels if you want to get the best flight or hotel deal.
In fact, flight searches for Thanksgiving will spike by 76 percent in September. By October, theyll increase by a further 95 percent. Book now, and you can pay half as much as one of those procrastinators.
Research suggests that consumers are more stressed about what theyre paying for flights and hotels than just about any other consumer purchase that they make, said Richard Holden, vice president of Google Travel. Buyers remorse, he says, is far more common when youre shopping for an airfare than, say, a flat-screen TV. People worry that theyll miss out on a future price drop, so weve decided to make our price insights richer telling consumers whether what theyre paying is a low price, a high one, or a fair one.
The result isnt just this handy tool, which uses last years prices to predict the rise and fall of airfares across the 25 most popular routes for Thanksgiving, the winter holidays, and New Years. Its a deluge of new features that will inspire confidence in your future travel purchases, no matter where or when youre going.
Power users of Google Flights will know that price insights already existed when you looked up tickets. Flights from New York to Paris, for instance, show red and green numbers under each day of the month to provide average prices based on the calendar explaining whether they were above or below the mean. Now, for the first time, theres a comparable tool for hotel prices.
Type New York City hotels into your Google app, and youll open the engine. (It works for any city in the world, big or small, from Tokyo to Kanazawa.) Then select your dates and your favorite property, and a new feature will pop up. Look for the compare market prices button and youll be able to see whether current prices are fluctuating and whether theyre low, typical, or high all based on prices for similarly rated hotels in the same vicinity.
Its hard to know whether $300 is a good price for a hotel on a particular night. This gives you a sense based on star ratings, and later well take even more data into account. Its all about comprehensiveness and transparency, Holden said.
Have you ever decided that you want to go to London, only to find that, because of a big convention, every hotel is booked and flight prices have skyrocketed? An upgrade to Googles Explore feature will help prevent that. To find it, pull up Google flights on web or mobile, then click Explore Destinations.
It lets you input basic parameters for your next vacation your home city, how long you want to be away, and what time of year youd like to travel before populating a world map with estimated flight prices. Want to head somewhere for Christmas, for instance? Leaving from New York, youll find great deals in cities from Barcelona to Amsterdam to Zurich.
Green numbers mean youre getting a relative bargain: 30 percent below the average price or more. Plus, a list of destinations on the left side shows how much youre saving in each place.
Three out of 5 users tell us theyre willing to shift their dates or destinations, so this will help them figure out where to get great value when theyre feeling flexible, Holden said.
Googles holiday flight tool represents a gradual expansion toward more personalized, more transparent travel bookings.
This isnt a brand-new path for us; were just making a greater investment in it now, he said.
As such, its still a work in progress. Holiday flight predictions are currently based only on 2017 numbers, but looking at the past five years, for example, would be more statistically significant. Holden says the company will add more data to the flight and hotel tools to make the great value predictions better over time. And as consumer behavior provides a clearer picture of how the tool is being used, more destinations will be added.
Over time we also want to provide more holistic planning support for the consumer, he said, hinting at improved destination insights that consider your existing flight and hotel purchases to serve up recommendations for what to do on the ground.
If only he could do the same for your holiday gift list.
Nikki Ekstein is a Bloomberg writer. Email: nekstein@bloomberg.net
ORLANDO This city has long been a leading tourist destination. Now, it is vying for another distinction: to be a pioneer in weaning itself from carbon-based energy.
You can see its aspirations in the thousands of ponds all over the city that collect the runoff from Central Floridas frequent downpours. Floating solar panels rise and fall in the water, sending power to the grid.
There is also evidence along city streets, where solar panels sit atop streetlights to power them instead of using the electric grid. About 18,000 of the 25,000 in the city already have been converted to high-efficiency light-emitting diodes.
Even algae pools may play a role. Thats where officials are testing a system to trap the carbon that the city emits from power plants or transportation, rather than release it into the atmosphere.
Orlando, in short, is charting its own course to help curb the effects of climate change. In part, it is stepping in where the federal government has pulled back. It is among almost 300 U.S. cities and counties that have reaffirmed the goals of the Paris climate accord since President Trump announced last year that he intended to withdraw the United States from the pact.
Cities, were having to take the lead, said Chris Castro, the citys director of sustainability. You would have expected the federal government to be taking the lead, but the federal government seems to be backing away every day from the commitments theyve made.
Orlando has set a goal of generating all its energy from carbon-free sources by 2050. But setting goals is proving far easier than achieving them. And environmental groups like the Sierra Club are agitating to make sure the commitments are more than just talk.
Mayor Buddy Dyer acknowledges that the citys goals will require more than resolve.
As a community, weve been really good about creating visions, he said. I think we all recognize that we need technology advancements to get to 100 percent.
Here in the center of the Sunshine State, significant potential rests with solar power.
By 2020, solar power is expected to make up 8 percent of the electricity generation of the city-owned utility, which powers much of the metropolitan area, including Universal Studios and SeaWorld, while investor-owned utilities serve some neighboring areas.
The municipal utility has installed equipment to generate 20 megawatts of community solar power enough to power roughly 3,200 homes on places like canopies over parking lots. The citys 280,000 residents contribute an additional 10 megawatts of solar power from equipment on their rooftops.
As an incentive to install solar panels, homeowners receive full retail value for electricity they send to the electric grid, an arrangement known as net metering. The utility also provides discount installation of home solar equipment and is looking at offering batteries.
And the city wants to float a large solar array on the pools of a water treatment plant, potentially offering a model for cities and utilities nationwide.
But solar power alone will not get Orlando to 100 percent clean energy, experts say.
For one thing, like other cities, Orlando struggles with its reliance on one of the dirtiest fuels for producing electricity coal. Los Angeles, which also generates municipal power, has proposed to replace remaining coal plants with natural-gas facilities, which produce half as much carbon as coal units. In Orlandos case, about 47 percent of the energy mix comes from two coal units at the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center, home also to two generators powered by natural gas.
The city is reviewing the future of the coal component. A transition from power plants burning coal and natural gas might force consumers to foot the bill for closing facilities by paying off their remaining debt early while also paying for the new technologies.
As Orlando tries to increase its use of intermittent sources like wind and solar power, battery storage will be important, but it remains costly.
And critics argue that focusing on power plants addresses only a portion of the greenhouse-gas problem. In 2017, a little more than a third of the nations energy consumption came from the electric power industry, while transportation and the industrial sector made up about half, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Some measures, at this point, aim to curb rather than eliminate the use of carbon fuels. Natural gas powers the government-run bus system that serves the city and three neighboring counties, and garbage trucks have hybrid engines, reducing the use of gasoline. (The police force has gone a step further, with electric motorcycles.)
Ivan Penn is a New York Times writer.
If you've ever sweated and sweltered in an aircraft cabin that was too hot or shivered in one that was freezing you might sympathize with a new petition from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) that urges the Transportation Department to regulate cabin temperatures.
The organization said that for years, it has heard reports from its members about incidents of extreme temperatures endured by passengers and crew usually when the plane was on the ground, but sometimes in flight. With passenger load factors (percentage of seats occupied) often exceeding 85 percent during peak months, extreme temperatures on board the aircraft "have intensified the problems created by in-fight crowding," the AFA said.
The petition cited some incidents reported in the media, like one last summer in Denver when an overheated infant on an aircraft had to be taken away in an ambulance. But "media reports of temperature events represent the tip of the iceberg," the AFA said, attaching documents that cited a number of such reports from flight crews that received no attention in the press.
The association said it conducted its own studies by issuing digital temperature/humidity probes to flight attendants so they could measure cabin conditions while they worked. "These data show clearly that unhealthy levels of 'heat index,' which is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature, occur too often in the cabins of commercial aircraft," AFA said.
The group noted that there are currently no federal rules setting limits on in-cabin temperatures, even though a law passed by Congress in 2012 requires airlines to develop contingency plans -- including the maintenance of "comfortable cabin temperatures" -- for flights that are stuck on the tarmac before takeoff or after landing.
DOT's own inspector general in 2014 urged the agency to make up for the lack of a standard by defining "comfortable cabin temperatures," the AFA petition noted. The flight attendants' group suggested DOT should adopt the limits recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, which suggest an acceptable range of 65 to 75 degrees for aircraft both in flight and on the ground, with a maximum limit in most cases of 80 degrees.
Flyersrights.org, a consumer advocacy group, filed comments supporting the AFA's petition. "Extreme cabin temperatures make flying significantly less safe as demonstrated by recent temperature-related suffering," the group said. "As recently as last year, there were even passengers passing out due to heat in the cabin before takeoff who needed to be carried off the plane, also causing a flight delay."
The consumer group noted that "some airlines have heat temperature guidelines as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit for passengers while restricting pet travel to between 45 to 84 degrees."
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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
While In-N-Out Burger faces calls for a boycott from a number of California Democrats, an Alabama lawmaker is inviting the fast food chain to open locations in his home state.
"Hey #InNOutBurger c'mon to Alabama!" Republican state Senator Phil Williams of Rainbow City tweeted Thursday night. "We love burgers, and we love #Republicans!"
In-N-Out does not currently have a location in Alabama; the furthest east the burger chain reaches is Texas.
RELATED: Here's why Seattle isn't getting an In-N-Out any time soon
However, not every Alabamian was sold on Williams' proposal.
One Twitter user replied to Williams' tweet and asked, "But do you love fries that taste like cardboard?"
"A little ketchup...a little salt...and voila!" Williams responded. "Anything is palatable with proper seasoning.....just like politics!"
After it was revealed on Wednesday that In-N-Out made a $25,000 donation to the California GOP, a number of Democrats took to Twitter to call for a boycott of the restaurant.
"So @innoutburger just gave $25,000 to the CA Republican Party," one user tweeted. "I've successfully boycotted fast food chains before, and I intend to do it again. #boycottinnoutburger."
Before long, the hashtag "#BoycottInNOut" was trending on Twitter.
ALSO: In-N-Out Burger set to open near Portland
California Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman even got it on the fun.
"Et tu In-N-Out? Tens of thousands of dollars donated to the California Republican Party," Bauman tweeted. "It's time to #BoycottInNOut - let Trump and his cronies support these creeps... perhaps animal style!"
You can see some of the reactions in the gallery above.
WASHINGTON Americans lined up for blocks outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to say goodbye to John McCain as officials, relatives and friends paid their tributes inside to the Vietnam hero and longtime senator lying in state under the majestic dome.
Earlier, Vice President Mike Pence, lawmakers and guests paid tribute at an emotional ceremony surrounding McCains casket in the vast rotunda.
It is only right that today, near the end of his long journey, John lies here, in this great hall, under this mighty dome, like other American heroes before him, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. We thank God for giving this country John McCain.
House Speaker Paul Ryan called McCain one of the bravest souls our nation has produced.
McCain, a former Navy aviator, really did talk like a sailor, Ryan said, drawing smiles from the crowd. But you see, with John, it wasnt feigned disagreement. The man didnt feign anything. He just relished the fight.
Pence said he didnt always agree with McCain, but said McCains support for limited government, tax reform and the military surely left our nation more prosperous and more secure.
McCain served his country honorably, Pence said, adding that President Trump respected his service to the country.
Trump, who has mocked McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War, was asked to stay away from the Capitol service, sources said.
After the service, McCains wife of 38 years, Cindy, bowed over the casket, clasped her hands and appeared to pray there. Later, she sat at her husbands desk with Sen. Lindsey Graham at her side in the semi-darkened Senate.
The ceremony was the first of two days of services in Washington honoring the Arizona senator, who served in Congress for 35 years.
On Saturday, McCains procession will pause by the Vietnam Memorial and head for Washington National Cathedral for a formal funeral service. At McCains request, two former presidents Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush will speak.
Laurie Kellman and Matthew Daly are Associated Press writers.
CANBERRA, Australia Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull resigned from Parliament on Friday, triggering a by-election that could bring down the unpopular conservative government.
Disgruntled lawmakers in Turnbulls conservative Liberal Party replaced him as prime minister with his treasurer, Scott Morrison, in a party ballot last Friday. The government has trailed the center-left opposition Labor Party in most opinion polls since the last election in 2016.
Turnbull became the fourth prime minister ousted by his or her own party since 2010. He warned that he would quit Parliament and cause a by-election that could cost the government its single-seat majority.
The by-election in Turnbulls wealthy Sydney electorate could be held as early as Oct. 6.
Turnbull has been criticized by former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for refusing to stay in Parliament until the next election, due in May next year.
Joyce, who fell out with Turnbull over an affair Joyce had with a former staffer, said people are going to be really disappointed by Turnbulls decision not to serve his full three-year term.
Morrison on Friday had nothing but praise for his predecessor.
Im disappointed Malcolms leaving Parliament and is leaving public life. Malcolm has been a dear and close friend of me for a very long period of time and has served his country well and grandly, Morrison told reporters in Jakarta.
Turnbull told his supporters on Wednesday that he would resign this week.
I dont want to dwell on recent shocking and shameful events a malevolent and pointless week of madness that disgraced our Parliament and appalled our nation, Turnbull wrote of his ousting.
Rod McGuirk is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON A senior Justice Department lawyer says a former British spy told him at a breakfast meeting two years ago that Russian intelligence believed it had Donald Trump over a barrel, according to multiple people familiar with the encounter.
The lawyer, Bruce Ohr, also says he learned that a Trump campaign aide had met with higher-level Russian officials than the aide had acknowledged, the people said.
The previously unreported details of the July 30, 2016, breakfast with Christopher Steele, which Ohr described to lawmakers this week in a private interview, reveal an exchange of potentially explosive information about Trump between two men the president has relentlessly sought to discredit.
They add to the public understanding of those pivotal summer months as the FBI and intelligence community scrambled to untangle possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. And they reflect the concern of Steele, a longtime FBI informant whose Democratic-funded research into Trump ties to Russia was compiled into a dossier, that the Republican presidential candidate was possibly compromised and his urgent efforts to convey that anxiety to contacts at the FBI and Justice Department.
The people who discussed Ohrs interview spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Among the things Ohr said he learned from Steele was that an unnamed former Russian intelligence official had said that Russian intelligence believed they had Trump over a barrel, according to people familiar with the meeting.
Steele and Ohr, at the time of the election a senior official in the deputy attorney generals office, had first met a decade earlier. They met several times during the presidential campaign, a relationship that exposed both men and federal law enforcement more generally to partisan criticism, including from Trump.
D.C. lobbyist pleads guilty A business associate of a key figure in the investigation into President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Friday pleaded guilty to failing to register as a foreign agent, prosecutors in Washington said. W. Samuel Patten was an associate of Konstantin Kilimnik, a man U.S. authorities have said has ties to Russian intelligence. Kilimnik worked closely with Manafort, who was found guilty this month of eight financial counts. Kilimnik also is a co-defendant in a pending case against Manafort that accuses them both of witness tampering. Prosecutors say Patten's company was involved in lobbying work in the U.S. and Ukraine, but that he failed to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Department as required by law. Source: Associated Press See More Collapse
Trump this month proposed stripping Ohr of his security clearance and has asked how the hell he remains employed.
Eric Tucker and Chad Day are Associated Press writers.
After taking eight lives, destroying 1,079 homes and ravaging 229,651 acres of Shasta and Trinity counties, the monstrous Carr wildfire was declared contained on Thursday night.
Cal Fire said the fire, which broke out July 23 near Highway 299 in the Whiskeytown area of Shasta County and unleashed the biggest fire tornado recorded, was contained at 7:32 p.m.
Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission announced Friday that Salesforce Tower the tallest office building west of the Mississippi River is now being powered by 100 percent renewable energy delivered through the citys CleanPowerSF program.
The announcement comes just over a year after the company signed up two of its other office buildings at 50 Fremont Center and 350 Mission St. to the clean energy program.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)
Activists seeking murder charges against officers involved in fatal police shootings in San Francisco briefly stopped traffic today near the city's Hall of Justice.
Around 1:30 p.m., about 20 to 30 people who call themselves Mothers on the March blocked the intersection of Bryant and Seventh streets, holding up pictures of victims of fatal police shootings.
The activists shouted, "How do you spell murder? SFPD," as cars stopped in traffic and honked. Officers eventually intervened and none of the activists were arrested.
The activity briefly affected three San Francisco Municipal Railway buses: the 8-Bayshore, the 27-Bryant and the 47-Van Ness.
Mothers on the March have been protesting outside the Hall of Justice every Friday for almost two years. Today marked the 100th week since they began.
"A lot of our allies, we're willing to risk getting arrested," Maria Cristina Gutierrez, one of the group's organizers, said today. "If we take action and we all unite, we can stop the killing of black and brown people."
Mothers on the March is demanding that District Attorney George Gascon resign or charge officers involved in police killings, such as those of Mario Woods in 2015 and Alex Nieto in 2014.
Until then, Gutierrez said, the group has no plans to stop.
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)
Classes are scheduled to resume today at Balboa High School in San Francisco a day after a gun went off inside a classroom Thursday.
There will be classroom discussions and extra counseling staff available at the school's teen health center today to support students, according to the San Francisco Unified School District.
On Thursday at approximately 11:15 a.m., police responded to Balboa High School at 1000 Cayuga Ave. on a report of a gun being discharged in a classroom.
The high school immediately went on lockdown, and all students were kept in classrooms behind lock doors and out of site, according to the school district.
Nearby Leadership High School, James Denman Middle School and San Miguel Early Education School were also placed on lockdown.
Responding officers searched the school and located the gun and a spent bullet casing, according to police.
Four high school students were taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Police said only one of the four students is under investigation in connection with the discharge of the firearm, and the other three students are being investigated as possible accessories after the fact.
One student suffered injuries that were not considered life threatening during the incident, but the student's injuries were not related to the gun discharging.
That student was evaluated and released to their parents, police said.
The lockdown was eventually lifted at all four schools, and the students at Balboa were released for the remainder of the day Thursday.
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)
Flights between San Jose and Carlsbad, a seaside city in San Diego County, will be available via California Pacific Airlines starting in November.
Flights will commence Nov. 1 between McClellan-Palomar Airport and Mineta San Jose International Airport, as well as between the Carlsbad airport and Reno, Nevada, according to the airline.
Passengers will be on 50-seat Embraer ERJ145 planes for the trips between Carlsbad and San Jose. There will be two round trips on the route each weekday and one round trip each Saturday and Sunday, airline officials said.
The McClellan-Palomar Airport is located near several beaches and coastal cities in San Diego County and is 2 miles east of the Legoland amusement park.
"We are extremely pleased to be one of three launch airports for California Pacific Airlines and the convenient, nonstop service it will offer to travelers between San Diego North County and Silicon Valley," Mineta San Jose director of aviation John Aitken said in a statement.
"Our community will warmly welcome scheduled flights to the Carlsbad, California area, an in-demand destination for both tech and tourism," Aitken said.
More information on the flights and reservations for seats can be found at www.mycpair.com or by calling (855) 505-9394, according to the airline.
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.
Police are investigating an incident aboard a San Francisco Municipal Railway light-rail car Thursday night, in which two men were recorded on video appearing to attack a Muni rider.
The incident, which has been circulating on social media, occurred around 8:45 p.m. on the N-Judah Muni line near Judah Street and 34th Avenue, police said.
In one of the two videos posted on Twitter, a man appears to be holding a male passenger in a headlock, as a female passengers yells, "He's a kid!" Another passenger off-camera asks the man, "Over music? Leave him alone."
In a second video, two men appear to be trying to push the male passenger down the steps of the train and off onto the street, as he pleads for them to stop.
According to police, they received several calls about the assault and responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they were able to speak to two of the people involved, but were unable to locate a third person involved.
According to police, "both subjects admitted to being involved in a mutual physical altercation, but neither party chose to press charges."
Police did not immediately clarify if the passenger seen being pushed off the light-rail car was a juvenile or whether he was injured.
Investigators have requested surveillance video from Muni officials in order to find out what may have happened prior to the videos. Anyone with information is asked to call the police anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to text a tip to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the beginning of the message.
An Altamont Corridor Express train hit and killed and jogger this morning on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in the Alviso neighborhood of San Jose, an ACE spokesperson confirmed.
The train was traveling between Fremont and Great America at about 8:30 a.m. when it struck the jogger in the area of Gold Street and Guadalupe River Trail, according to spokesman Steve Walker.
The fatality appears to be a "tragic accident," Walker said, and train crews do not believe the person intentionally stepped in front of the train.
At the time of the crash, 436 passengers and four crewmembers were on board. No one was injured and ACE officials are in the process of transferring the passengers to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority shuttles that will take them to their final destination.
ACE train 7, which has 376 passengers and four crewmembers, was slightly north of the original train at the time of the strike, Walker said. Shuttles cannot reach it because it is stopped on tracks in marshy wetlands.
There are two Amtrak trains behind ACE train 7, and Walker said crews will have to wait for the bottleneck to clear before trains begin operating again. He estimated the scene of the fatality will be cleared up in about two and a half hours.
The Santa Clara County medical examiner's office will identify the victim after their next of kin has been contacted.
Classes are scheduled to resume today at Balboa High School in San Francisco a day after a gun went off inside a classroom Thursday.
There will be classroom discussions and extra counseling staff available at the school's teen health center today to support students, according to the San Francisco Unified School District.
On Thursday at approximately 11:15 a.m., police responded to Balboa High School at 1000 Cayuga Ave. on a report of a gun being discharged in a classroom.
The high school immediately went on lockdown, and all students were kept in classrooms behind lock doors and out of site, according to the school district.
Nearby Leadership High School, James Denman Middle School and San Miguel Early Education School were also placed on lockdown.
Responding officers searched the school and located the gun and a spent bullet casing, according to police.
Four high school students were taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Police said only one of the four students is under investigation in connection with the discharge of the firearm, and the other three students are being investigated as possible accessories after the fact.
One student suffered injuries that were not considered life threatening during the incident, but the student's injuries were not related to the gun discharging.
That student was evaluated and released to their parents, police said.
The lockdown was eventually lifted at all four schools, and the students at Balboa were released for the remainder of the day Thursday.
The Marin County Sheriff's Office arrested a San Pablo woman Thursday on suspicion of identity theft and forgery in southern Marin County, a sheriff's lieutenant said.
Danielle Mowers, 40, was booked in the Marin County Jail on five felony and seven misdemeanor charges. She is being held without bail.
Mail and identities were stolen from at least 50 people in southern Marin County over several months, Lt. Steve de la O said.
The sheriff's office began its investigation July 15 when a San Francisco resident reported personal information was stolen from their vehicle in Stinson Beach and used to make a fraudulent transaction, de la O said.
Mowers had social security numbers, banking information and tax returns, the sheriff's office said.
Investigators went to Mowers' home this month to serve a search warrant but Mowers was in jail in San Francisco. Mowers was contacted at her home when she was released from jail.
In addition to the Marin County cases, hundreds of pieces of mail were stolen in the greater Bay Area, and the U.S. Postal Service is investigating those thefts, de la O said.
A 16-year-old was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a shooting that occurred Monday in San Jose.
The suspect, whose name has not been released by police, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
On Monday at 4:14 p.m., officers with the San Jose Police Department responded to the 900 block of Walnut Woods Drive on a report of a person shot.
The victim, a 15-year-old male, was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound and was transported to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
Police said the preliminary investigation into the shooting revealed a group of juveniles were confronted by men in a green convertible Ford Mustang.
A verbal altercation ensued, and the suspect exited the vehicle and fired at the group of victims.
Police in Fairfield arrested a woman on Thursday in connection with possession of a firearm following a traffic stop.
Michelle Robinson, 22, was arrested on suspicion of weapons violations and on an outstanding warrant, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
On Thursday around 10:30 p.m., a Fairfield police officer pulled over a 1995 Honda Civic for a traffic violation in the 300 block of E. Pacific Avenue.
Police said the front passenger, identified as Robinson, had an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor DUI.
Officers detained Robinson and during a search of her purse they located a loaded .38-caliber Colt revolver.
Police said the revolver had no record of sale, and Robinson refused to answer questions about it.
With more people outdoors this Labor Day weekend -- camping, barbecuing and more - officials at Cal Fire are urging folks to stay safe and prevent new fires from starting in the state.
Wildfires continue to burn throughout California. So far, 875,000 acres have burned since the first of the year, and much of the state remains at high risk for destructive fires as we approach autumn.
Fire officials are encouraging extreme caution when camping and barbecuing. Be sure to:
-Check local fire restrictions
-Obtain a campfire permit at www.preventwildfireca.org
-Clear away grass, leaves and other debris within 10 feet of any campfire
-Make sure all campfires are extinguished before leaving the site
-Never leave a hot barbecue grill unattended
Officials are also reminding residents of the burn ban issued Aug. 8 by the Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit, prohibiting all burning in State Responsibility Areas in Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and in the western portions of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.
SRAs are designated areas where the state is responsible for wildland fire protection.
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A mother and daughter from Canada were found safe after they were reported missing Monday, San Mateo County sheriff's officials said today.
Audrey Rodrigue, 29, and her 10-year-old daughter Emily had traveled to California to do some camping and Audrey's boyfriend reported them missing after he lost touch with them.
The pair flew into the San Francisco Bay Area to start their trip.
Sheriff's officials sent out a Twitter message at 6:19 p.m. and said the pair were OK when they were found. According to sheriff's officials, the mother and daughter had simply been enjoying their camping trip.
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)
Police are investigating an incident aboard a San Francisco Municipal Railway light-rail car Thursday night, in which two men were recorded on video appearing to attack a Muni rider.
The incident, which has been circulating on social media, occurred around 8:45 p.m. on the N-Judah Muni line near Judah Street and 34th Avenue, police said.
In one of the two videos posted on Twitter, a man appears to be holding a male passenger in a headlock, as a female passengers yells, "He's a kid!" Another passenger off-camera asks the man, "Over music? Leave him alone."
In a second video, two men appear to be trying to push the male passenger down the steps of the train and off onto the street, as he pleads for them to stop.
According to police, they received several calls about the assault and responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they were able to speak to two of the people involved, but were unable to locate a third person involved.
According to police, "both subjects admitted to being involved in a mutual physical altercation, but neither party chose to press charges."
Police did not immediately clarify if the passenger seen being pushed off the light-rail car was a juvenile or whether he was injured.
Investigators have requested surveillance video from Muni officials in order to find out what may have happened prior to the videos. Anyone with information is asked to call the police anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to text a tip to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the beginning of the message.
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)
Officers in San Francisco took four high school students into custody after a gun went off inside a classroom late this morning, police said.
The incident occurred around 11:15 a.m. at Balboa High School, located at 1000 Cayuga Ave.
The discharged gun caused the school to be on lockdown. As a precaution, San Francisco Unified School District officials also moved to place nearby Leadership High School, James Denman Middle School and San Miguel Early Education School on lockdown.
After conducting a search, officers located the gun and a spent bullet casing, according to police.
Of the four students taken into custody, only one is under investigation in connection with the firearm's discharge. The other three student suspects are being investigated as possible accessories after the fact.
One student suffered injuries not considered life-threatening during the ordeal. The student's injuries, however, were not related to the gun discharging.
That student was evaluated and has been released to their parents, police said.
The lockdowns have since been lifted and no other students were injured, according to police.
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 student at San Francisco's Balboa High School was arrested on suspicion of a slew of felonies after a gun in their possession went off inside a classroom Thursday, police said.
The student was booked into the Juvenile Justice Center on suspicion of assault with a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of ammunition on school grounds, being a minor in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon on school grounds, being a minor in possession of live ammunition and negligent discharge of a firearm, according to police.
Three other students, who were detained on suspicion of being accessories after the fact, were released to their parents. They're facing possible charges pending further investigation, police said.
Officers responded to the high school, located at 1000 Cayuga Ave., around 11:15 a.m. for a report of a gun possibly going off in a classroom.
The high school immediately went on lockdown, and all students were kept in classrooms behind locked doors and out of site, according to the school district. Nearby Leadership High School, James Denman Middle School and San Miguel Early Education School were also placed on lockdown as a precaution.
Officers searched the school and located the gun and a spent bullet casing, police said.
One student suffered injuries during the incident that were not considered life threatening, but the student's injuries were not related to the gun discharging. That student was evaluated and released to their parents.
No other students were injured, according to police.
The lockdown was eventually lifted at all four schools, and the students at Balboa were released for the remainder of the day Thursday.
Today, school district officials said there will be classroom discussions and extra counseling staff available at the school's teen health center to support students.
The incident remains under investigation and police are asking anyone with information to call their tipline at (415) 575-4444 of to text a tip to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the beginning of the message. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
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.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia An Australian filmmaker who has been outspoken about human rights abuses in Cambodia, and who was arrested while filming an opposition political rally, was sentenced Friday to six years in prison for espionage.
The filmmaker, James Ricketson, 69, has been in jail since June of last year, when he was detained while flying a drone with an attached camera over the rally. During Ricketsons two-week trial, which ended Thursday, prosecutors never said for what country he was supposed to have spied.
But as evidence against him, prosecutors introduced emails Ricketson had sent to Cambodian opposition figures, along with a draft version of a letter he sent to Australias then-leader outlining abuses by the Cambodian government. Ricketson had been working on a documentary about the opposition.
His arrest came as Cambodias prime minister, Hun Sen, was overseeing a large-scale crackdown on dissent and the press.
Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, asked about the case Friday during a trip to Indonesia, said the government had previously contacted Cambodian authorities about it. He said it was best to deal with these things calmly and directly.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Ricketson must now consider his response to the courts decision using the avenues open to him under Cambodian law. The Australian government will consider what further appropriate support we can provide after that time.
Ricketsons letter to Malcolm Turnbull, then Australias prime minister, outlined rights abuses carried out by Hun Sens government and urged him not to receive the Cambodian leader in Australia. Prosecutors accused him of inciting hatred of Cambodia with the letter.
In March, Turnbull hosted a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders, including Hun Sen, over the objections of activists who said Australia was ignoring human rights abuses in the region.
Ricketsons children say he has health problems, and in a statement Friday they said they feared he might die in the prison.
Although Ricketson was defiant early in his imprisonment and insisted he had done no wrong, more recently he wrote a letter of apology to Hun Sen, saying that his previous comments had been disruptive and ill-informed.
Julia Wallace is a New York Times writer.
BEIRUT Syrian opposition fighters blew up bridges Friday linking areas they control to government-held territories in northwestern Syria in anticipation of a military offensive against their last stronghold in the country, activists and a war monitor said.
The explosions rocked the area in al-Ghab plains, south of idlib and came after rebels detected government troop movement in the area, according to Rami Abdurrahman, head of the war monitoring Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Abdurrahman said two other bridges remain in the area and could be used by government forces to move in on the rebel stronghold.
Most of Idlib province and adjacent strips of Hama province remain in the hands of an assortment of armed groups, some Turkey-backed and others independent Islamist groups. But the strongest alliance of fighters is led by an al Qaeda-linked group that controls most of the area that is also home to some 3 million people.
Thousands of government troops and allied fighters have been amassing in areas surrounding Idlib while Russia, Syrias powerful ally, has said a military operation was necessary to weed out terrorists it blames for attacking its bases on the coast.
Turkey, which backs a number of opposition factions in Syria and has set up observation points that ring the rebel stronghold, has been seeking to curtail a full-scale offensive. Ankara fears a humanitarian and security crisis on its borders.
U.N. officials estimate an offensive would trigger a wave of displacement that could uproot up to 800,000 people. The area is already home to nearly 2 million displaced previously from other parts of Syria.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Friday that an offensive on Idlib is going to be very difficult. He said he has appealed to the government in Syria to find a way forward for the area, packed with civilians and armed groups, that spares civilian lives.
Grandi said an offensive threatens to cause many civilian deaths, fresh displacement and would also discourage refugees from returning.
Meanwhile, the rebels have dug trenches, built berms and fortified their posts. Al Qaeda-linked authorities have also called on residents to take part in supporting the fighters, either through building reinforcements, volunteering to fight, or in field hospitals and kitchens to help men deployed on the frontlines.
The campaign for Idlib is likely to be the last major theater of battle after seven years of brutal civil war.
WASHINGTON The Trump administration told Congress on Friday that it intends to enter into a revised North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and will continue working to keep Canada in the pact as talks between the United States and Canada move into next week.
While sticking points still remain between the United States and Canada, the decision to try to keep a trilateral deal is a significant win for NAFTA supporters and an indication that the Trump administration, despite its threats to leave its northern neighbor behind, wants to keep Canada in the pact.
Today, the President notified the Congress of his intent to sign a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, if it is willing 90 days from now, Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, said in a statement. Lighthizer called the ongoing talks with Canada constructive and said, Our officials are continuing to work toward agreement.
The decision to try to reach an agreement capped off a rocky negotiating session Friday, as the United States and Canada struggled to reach agreement on several key issues and President Trump continued to disparage Canada and its trade practices, raising fears that the last-ditch talks to salvage the pact could falter.
The Trump administration had set a Friday deadline to strike a deal with Canada, threatening to move ahead with a bilateral trade pact with just Mexico if an agreement among the three countries could not be reached. After several days of marathon meetings that seemed to presage a deal, the chances of such an agreement by the end of Friday began looking doubtful.
Were looking for a good deal, not just any deal, said Chrystia Freeland, Canadas foreign minister.
The U.S. and Canada have agreed to negotiate beyond the Friday deadline. While members of Congress could theoretically object, they are unlikely to do so, since most are eager for Canada to remain part of the pact.
On Friday, talks between the U.S. and Canada remained deadlocked over several contentious issues, including Canadas dairy sector, its rules governing movies, books and other media, and a mechanism for settling trade disputes between the two countries, people briefed on the talks said.
The U.S. trade representative said Canada had yet to make any concessions on dairy products, which has become a source of ire for Trump.
Alan Rappeport and Ana Swanson are New York Times writers.
By MAURA GRUNLUND and PAUL LIOTTA
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Offices at the College of Staten Island (CSI) in Willowbrook were burglarized in two incidents reported to police within the past week.
Cash, student checks and parking registration cards, plus a college credit card were among the items stolen from offices in building 3A at the campus at 2800 Victory Blvd., according to police and statements from the college.
Campus security has been beefed up as a result, a CSI statement said.
No arrests have been made and no description of one or more suspects has been supplied to the Advance by the NYPD.
On Aug. 24, an unknown person entered the Purchasing Office through a cut screen window. The burglar removed a credit card used by an employee to buy items for the college, according to information from police and CSI.
The suspect attempted to use the Purchasing Office credit card information at a McDonald's at about 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 27, and also to pay for cable TV. The attempted transactions triggered fraud alerts and the incident was reported on that Monday, according to police.
The second break-in was reported to police on Tuesday, Aug. 28, after the Parking Services Office, room 106, was burglarized. An unknown person entered through a side window and attempted to remove a safe. The burglar took mail containing checks and registration cards for parking permits and made off with about $600 in cash, according to information supplied by the NYPD. The Parking Services heist happened at about 4 a.m., according to the college statement.
"The Campus Public Safety Office is cooperating closely with the New York Police Department to investigate the incidents," said Hope Berte, interim vice president, campus planning, facilities management and operations.
"We are hopeful that the security footage and evidence NYPD collected will assist in the apprehension of the responsible individual(s). We urge anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Campus Public Safety.
"The College of Staten Island takes every incident of this kind very seriously - the safety and security of students, faculty and staff are paramount. Campus Public Safety will conduct safety checks of buildings prior to the start of each day for the foreseeable future. Campus Public Safety provides an escort service for anyone who feels unsafe when walking on campus and officers are posted across campus."
In an alert sent out to the campus community after the second heist, the college also posted these additional tips:
Please take appropriate measures to protect your personal property and school property at all times, especially when leaving for the night.
Never enter a location if you see that a door or window has been forced open. Go to the nearest safe place and contact Campus Public Safety immediately.
If you observe suspicious activity or behavior, contact Campus Public Safety by calling ext. 2111 or activate the blue light emergency system.
Stay alert and attuned to people and circumstances around you.
Staten Island commercial buildings have been hit with a spate of burglaries recently that have not been linked into a pattern by police.
At least four businesses in West Brighton were hit from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Heists were reported at a law firm, a deli and a coffee shop on the same block of Forest Avenue, and a restaurant on Castleton Avenue.
STATEN ISLAND -- Notice anything different?
We did too.
The Department of Transportation appears to have plastered pretty much every entrance door at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal with signs warning people that the ferry is, in fact, free for all passengers.
"The Staten Island Ferry is owned and operated by the New York City Department of Transportation and service is provided 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and FREE of Charge for all passengers," the sign reads.
The Advance noticed the additional signage after the paper did a story about the large presence of ticket hawkers poaching tourists in the area trying to dissuade tourists from riding the ferry and sometimes saying it is not free.
DOT did not elaborate on when or why the additional signs were added, but a spokesperson from the agency Scott Gastel said: "Some additional signs were added, serving the same purpose as the previous ones."
The New York Police Department said ticket hawkers are not allowed to sell tickets in or outside of the ferry terminal, at Battery Park, around the National Museum of the American Indian, or by the Charging Bull.
But the ticket hawkers do it anyway.
The NYPD will arrest ticket hawkers or issue them summonses if they are caught operating in unauthorized areas.
WHERE CAN THEY SELL TICKETS?
Outside of those areas, they can sell tickets where they please, the NYPD said.
Local officials have called on the city to reign in the ticket hawkers and create a designated area for them to work, similar to what is in place at Times Square.
When the Advance visited the ferry earlier in August, several tourists said that ticket hawkers tried to scam them.
Denzil Pudota who was visiting from the United Kingdom with his family, told the Advance a ticket hawker who approached them was aggressive and said it would take a total of two hours to ride from Whitehall to Staten Island and back.
Two women visiting New York City from Germany told the Advance that a ticket hawker told them the Staten Island Ferry was not free.
On Friday, the Advance spotted about seven ticket hawkers standing around the outside of the Whitehall terminal either waiting for, or approaching tourists.
FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- After a hellish ordeal abroad, the South Beach man who severely injured his spine during his honeymoon in Colombia underwent a four-hour surgery at a Florida hospital Wednesday.
Chris Cruz, 32, has feeling and mobility in his upper body and some sensation in his legs, but doctors are waiting to see how he responds to the operation before making a prognosis, the family told the Advance Thursday.
Cruz is facing a long recovery, but whatever lies ahead, his wife, Dayna, knows they'll come through this.
"He's in very good spirits, very positive," she said. "He got this."
Doctors at Broward Medical Center realigned the two parts of Cruz's spine that shifted when he injured himslef jumping off a boat in Cartagena last week.
The surgery got the spine back to about 75 percent, and he's currently on a breathing tube until he regains his strength.
After seeing how his body responds to this initial procedure, doctors will then determine if he needs more surgery, which may include rods or screws being inserted in his spine, said his wife.
"I have my moments," Dayna said. "Some days I'm falling apart, but not when I'm by him. I don't show him that."
Cruz, a union carpenter, hit his head after jumping off a boat. He said he couldn't feel his body and told the others in his group, "I need help."
The group then secured him on the boat until they made it ashore to wait for an ambulance that never came. Instead, only two EMTs on scooters responded to the emergency call, the family said.
Dayna said the group then frantically tried to flag people down for help until a man -- who turned out to be an ICU doctor -- pulled over.
They took Cruz to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with four fractured vertebrae that would require surgery.
One of the fractures was pressing on the nerves that connect the heart and brain signals, Joe Burney, Cruz's brother-in-law, previously told the Advance.
Cruz was fully covered and his insurance had been notified about the accident, but the hospital refused to take the insurance and demanded $40,000 in cash to continue his care, Burney said.
A friend put up $3,500 in cash just to get Cruz admitted for emergency care.
Burney said doctors from other parts of Colombia came in to consult on the case and requested certain tools to perform the surgery, which the hospital did not have.
The staff told the family they ordered the equipment and the cash was for the tools and the operation, but after four days the instruments never came, the family said.
Burney said he then called the U.S. Embassy in Colombia to get involved, and the hospital admitted they hadn't ordered the tools.
Cruz remained in the hospital for four days before he was transported back to the United States.
"I felt stranded, neglected," Dayna said of the time in the hospital. "I had no control. I was just seeing him lying there."
Family and friends then collected $30,000 to get a private medivac to transport Cruz from Colombia to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tuesday. He was in an operating room the next day.
The couple, together for 15 years, has been married for two years. They have a 10-month old daughter.
They were in Colombia to celebrate a friend's wedding and extended their trip for a delayed honeymoon.
"I tell him he's strong and that he's going to pull through this," Dayna said. "We blow kisses to each other and he gives me the wink.
"But he's still annoying," she said, joking. "He's himself."
The family started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.
NEW YORK -- Lawyers for President Donald Trump asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought against his charitable foundation by New York's attorney general, arguing that it was politically motivated.
In the motion Thursday, Trump attorney Alan S. Futerfas argued that former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman "made it his stated mission to 'lead the resistance' and attack Mr. Trump whenever possible" and "used his public antipathy for Mr. Trump to solicit donations for his own re-election campaign and advance his career interests and aspirations."
Trump very publicly announced his intention to dissolve the foundation and donate all of its remaining funds to charity, but the AG "actively stonewalled dissolution," Futerfas wrote.
"At the same time, the NYAG turned a blind eye to serious and significant allegations of misconduct involving the Clinton Foundation, including claims that it, and its subsidiaries, violated New York law by failing to disclose $225 million in donations from foreign governments," Futerfas wrote.
Schneiderman began investigating the Trump Foundation in 2016 following Washington Post reports that its spending personally benefited the presidential candidate. Schneiderman ordered the foundation to stop fundraising in New York.
Schneiderman resigned in May after allegations that he physically abused women he had dated; he denied the claims.
His successor, Democratic Attorney General Barbara Underwood, filed the lawsuit in June, claiming the Trump Foundation "was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality." The suit seeks $2.8 million in restitution and the foundation's disbandment.
The filing said Underwood continued the "inflammatory rhetoric, stating publicly that she considers her battles with the President 'the most important work (she) has ever done' and has vowed that such 'work will continue.'"
Trump's lawyers also argued that several impermissible donations by the foundation were due to clerical errors and were all corrected when brought to the attention of foundation officials.
In a statement Thursday, the attorney general's office said it won't back down from "holding Trump and his associates accountable for their flagrant violations of New York law."
"As our lawsuit detailed, the Trump Foundation functioned as a personal piggy bank to serve Trump's business and political interests," the statement said.
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Some know him as Philip Graham, others as Philip Armstrong or Philip James and more still as Philip Whiteman, but to Marisa Sampieri the alleged fraudster and her former boss is just evil.
This week at public examinations at the Federal Court into an alleged $100 million phoenixing scam run by Whiteman and his associates, Sampieri cried as she described the violent and criminal nature of Whitemans operations which has wrought financial devastation for many people and saw at least one person linked to the scheme allegedly bashed with an iron bar.
Philip Whiteman and Sherife Ymer with children outside a property they bought in Elwood, Melbourne in 2002. Credit:Rodger Cummins
Sampieri told the court that Whiteman would often say the ATO, ASIC and the government are all rats chasing their tails".
Thats what he thinks of the law and everything else and he said that to me several times, she said.
BHPs army of shareholders will hopefully receive cash from the miners $US10.8 billion ($14.9 billion) sale of its US shale assets by the end of this year, the miners chief financial officer Peter Beaven has told shareholders.
The comments mark the first time BHP has signalled such a timeline for a return of proceeds from the deals.
Peter Beaven, BHP's chief financial officer, said BHP had not decided how the net proceeds would be returned to shareholders. Credit:Wayne Taylor
We should be able to complete [the transactions] by the 31st of October, thats the plan and thats going well. And so what we then need to do is get the cash in the bank at that point, and get it back, hopefully by the end of this calendar year, Mr Beaven told an online shareholder briefing.
Mr Beaven said BHP had not decided how the net proceeds would be returned to shareholders, adding that it could be "in the form of more cash dividends, or in the form of buybacks" of its Australian or London-listed shares. BHP would announce before the end of October how the money would be returned.
With the banks tighter lending constraints affecting many businesses, particularly in the construction and development sector, other lenders have been prompted to enter the market to fill the gap.
Property owners and developers are more often turning to their accountants or lawyers for advice on how to structure a deal and which non-bank lender to approach, especially when it comes to short-term, immediate finance. This may be required to secure a business opportunity, pay an ATO debt or when receiving a notice to complete.
Non-bank lenders are seeing an increase in demand. Credit:Fairfax Media
Given the increasing growth in the non-bank lender market, many advisers often do not know which lenders have the ability to understand the clients corporate structure and complex matrix of alternative financiers available. This is most often seen in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and, in more recent times, Perth.
Some non-banks have neither the expertise nor independence required to navigate their way through the customers urgent cashflow requirements or in dealing with the last-minute withdrawal of funding support currently experienced by many property developers.
The company is now expanding into the US - where there are even more millennials, and much more shopping - and early signs are promising. It's a remarkable story. Loading And the most remarkable thing about it? It has all happened due to a loophole in Australia's credit laws. Put simply, AfterPay allows people to buy things without immediately paying for them in full.
"I was at a kids footy game recently and they were selling cakes and stuff and they joked that you can give me $1 now and $3 later, you can AfterPay it," says Dean Fergie, a fund manager at Cyan Investments, which has held AfterPay shares since its IPO. "It's not this concept that I won't have to pay it back, it's a different mindset. I'll have to pay some now, and the rest of it later. I'll Afterpay it." Stroke of genius Users can sign up with an email address, phone number and a credit or debit card to get access to the platform. (After revelations that users under the age of 18 had signed up under fake names and used the platform to purchase alcohol, Afterpay now requires external identity checks, which can involve supplying a driver's licence or Medicare card).
Approval can come almost instantly. Once given the green light, users can buy things from participating merchants including online retailers like The Iconic, or in stores such as Bing Lee or Sunglass Hut.
New users are required to pay a quarter of any purchase upfront. The rest is paid off in three, interest-free instalments - once a fortnight after a purchase is made. Some returning users are later given the ability to pay nothing upfront, and pay off a purchase over four instalments, once every two weeks. Herein lies the rub. Because Afterpay doesn't technically charge users interest (but it does charge late fees), the service isn't governed by the National Consumer Credit Protection Act, and all the sagefuards that entails. Where late fees do apply, they are capped at the higher of $10 or 25 per cent of the order value, with a maximum late fee of $68 per order. It's people buying a T-shirt or a dress that's 120 bucks, or a Jetstar flight to Perth for Mum's 50th birthday. Dean Fergie, fund manager at Cyan Investments It's a stroke of genius - from the perspective of the company and its shareholders. From the perspetive of consumer groups, not so much.
"It means they dont need to comply with important consumer protections like responsible lending provisions," Katherine Temple, a senior policy officer at the Consumer Action Law Centre says. "The lack of income and expenses checks means some people are going to end up with more debt than they can handle. And that can have a really big impact on their lives going forward. Afterpay declined to say how many of its users have missed payments. But it claims that 95 per cent of the transactions that have taken place on its platform haven't incurred late fees. Regardless, it's the other 5 per cent that consumer groups are worried about. "I know there is this view they are providing credit and letting people's debt get out of control," says Fergie.
"But you aren't having plumbers buying utes they can't afford. It's people buying a T-shirt or a dress that's 120 bucks, or a Jetstar flight to Perth for Mum's 50th birthday." Rachael Lee has been a frequent user of AfterPay for almost two years. "I use it every second week, sometimes more, especially around special events like Christmas or birthdays, she said. "I like how AfterPay shows me how much I have spent and keeps me in more control of my spending": Rachael Lee. Credit:Louise Kennerley "I budget pretty well and only spend within my means ... I like how AfterPay shows me how much I have spent and keeps me in more control of my spending."
"[But] I do have a few friends who have a bit of problem with it, with payments and stuff, not always paying on time and ordering a lot of things. Not profitable, but growing fast Afterpay has been on an almighty sharemarket run over the past two and a half years. For most of August, its market value exceeded that of the nation's eighth biggest lender by assets, the Bank of Queensland. The company is not yet profitable - it lost nearly $9 million last year. But it is growing. Fast. Revenue soared 390 per cent last year to $142 million. Most of that comes from fees from the more than 17,000 merchants who accept it as a form of payment in their stores, both physical and online.
Afterpay takes a 4 per cent cut of every transaction that takes place on its platform. Retailers seem happy to pay this, because the platform is bringing them hordes of new customers. Last financial year it had 2.3 million active users - nearly one in 10 Australians. For its merchant clients, AfterPay delivered $2.2 billion in sales. But the company also makes money from late fees. They totalled $28.4 million last year. Afterpay insists that late fees aren't a growth driver of its business; rather, they are designed to provide an incentive for customers to pay on time. It says the average order is under $150 - and 30 per cent of orders are declined. As well, 90 per cent of customer accounts have a balance of less than $500, and 75 per cent of have a balance of less than $350.
These figures haven't assuaged people's concerns, though. "We are receiving increasing numbers of calls at the National Debt Helpline of people with Afterpay debts," says Temple. "Most people are juggling numerous other debts such as credit cards and payday loans. They've suffered health problems, relationship breakdowns or fallen into unemployment. "There are dangers associated with the product." Afterpay supporters disagree. They say unlike credit card providers, the company has no incentive to trap its users in debt. And they note that once a user is late on a payment, it is suspended from the platform. "It's almost the opposite of any credit product," says Fergie. "Afterpay actually want customers to pay them back whereas credit card providers don't want them to pay them back."
The company funds all of the purchases it makes on behalf of users through debt facilities it has established with major lenders including National Australia Bank and Citi. The sooner it is repaid by a user, the faster it can fund a new purchase for another user, and in turn generate more fees from its merchant clients. "The real financial secret with this business is what I call the velocity of capital," says Fergie. "They lend $500 to you and it gets paid back in six weeks. They are turning over their capital 14 times a year. And every time it gets turned over they charge the merchants a 4 per cent fee. "It's not because they are ripping off consumers. They are increasing sales for their merchants." Band-aid solution
Last week, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission requested powers to regulate a range of financial products that currently fall outside its remit, including those in the buy now, pay later sector. Such products "can at times be a source of significant consumer detriment", it said, in a submission to the federal government's draft legislation on financial services. "The buy now, pay later sector is growing rapidly, driven by consumer demand," ASIC said. "Consumers may lack understanding of what fees and charges are payable and ... vulnerable consumers may be using these products." ASIC (which has its own reputational issues at the moment) seems keen to move quickly to address this. "In our experience, law reform - including the making of regulations - can take significant time to be implemented," the corporate regulator said. "In that time, the harm to consumers may occur, or continue whilst ASIC does not have the ability to intervene." But Temple, from Consumer Action, says extending ASIC's powers to the sector would only be a "band-aid solution".
She wants changes to legislation (the National Consumer Credit Protection Act) to ensure that services like AfterPay face similar rules to credit card providers. "We would like to see this loophole in the law closed so Afterpay is regulated like other credit providers and there is level playing field across the industry," she says. Afterpay says it's committed to responsible spending and has pledged to work "cooperatively with government, regulators and industry stakeholders". Shareholders are confident it can withstand any changes to regulations. At the moment, they are more interested in (and exicted about) Afterpay's expansion into bigger markets, such as the US where it has signed up merchants such as millennial retailer Urban Outfitters. Goldman Sachs analysts recently said they saw no reason why Afterpay couldn't emerge as the market leader in the US millennial payments industry.
"It's huge, the US retail market is 20 times the size of Australia's," says Fergie. "If those guys even get a little bit of a foothold there...if it's even a modest success, and there is every sign it will be, then I think investors are going to look at this as being a very smart, global fintech play that is capped in the tens of billions, not the single digit billions." Goldman also flagged the possiblity that Afterpay could be in the crosshairs of a payments firm or tech company with a bigger global footprint. "We note that Afterpay is gaining a prominent position in the checkout process of US retailers and may therefore be an interesting strategic acquisition for a larger payments company," they wrote. Amanda says she racked up $1400 in Afterpay debt. When she missed payments, and late fees, it was referred to a debt collector, which was "an absolute nightmare," she says. She says she isn't alone in experiencing this. "I know heaps of people who have gone into debt with their Afterpays," she says.
It was a watershed moment for small business when the shadow treasurer Chris Bowen promised a massive overhaul of the Australian Taxation Office if Labor wins government.
Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen on need for tax office reform. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The decision to create a separate and dedicated appeals group led by a new, second ATO commissioner not only takes some of the sting out of the ATOs extraordinary powers but brings it into line with comparable international tax collection agencies such as its United States counterpart.
The move to reform the ATO could be seen as a slap in the face to the tax commissioner Chris Jordan, who has long argued that it is fine just the way it is.
Indeed, after the announcement Jordan described it as "interesting" but not needed. He was reported to have said he was open to having a low cost, informal but separate body to look at disputes.
Rod Sims has called for reform of unfair contract law in relation to businesses and says the legislation is "deeply, deeply flawed".
The chair of the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission told the Vodafone National Small Business Summit in Sydney on Friday that the law needs to be strengthened with tougher penalties introduced for breaking it.
ACCC chair Rod Sims would like to see "huge penalties" for breaches of unfair contract law. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The business-to-business unfair contract term law is an extremely valuable law that works to protect small businesses against terms that just should not be found in contracts," he said.
"However it does not go far enough, and its limitations really tie our hands as a regulator. What we want is unfair contract terms to be made illegal and we want huge penalties to apply."
The experience of Thileeban and Devarani Rajalingam, who live in Bathurst, underscores the challenge. The Sri Lankan-born family loves the quiet of the small town three hours drive from Sydney, but Mr Rajalingam is threatening to uproot the family and return to Sydney if he doesn't get a job soon. "I'm moving here, it's too hard. I'm moving back. It's too hard," he said of the cycle of moving from Sydney to Bathurst, and very likely back again. Thileeban, pictured with his wife Devarani Rajalingam, is finding it difficult to find work in Bathurst, where they live. Credit:David Porter Mr Rajalingam worked in restaurants, a factory and as a cleaner in Sydney, but hasn't had work or even an interview since arriving in Bathurst in November. Rawnsley says the economies of our big cities are diverging from the rest of the country primarily because of a concentration of knowledge-intensive industries, such as financial services and professional services, along with the advantages that come with the scale and scope in major metros.
There is a worrying pattern where a disproportionate share of economic activity and population is shifting towards the biggest cities, he says. Meanwhile, regional areas are being hampered by the decline in competitiveness of manufacturing. Regions find it increasingly difficult to cultivate knowledge-intensive employment and are being impacted by the declining competitiveness of manufacturing, which has resulted in widespread closures of factories and refineries, Rawnsley says. Major cities are also seeing this type of closure; however, their high labour productive industries compensate for the loss in income. Rawnsleys analysis show Sydney had the highest labour productivity among the major cities followed by Melbourne and Perth (both $81 per hour worked). Regional Victoria had the lowest labour productivity ($67) in the study while regional NSW had the second lowest.
Another factor driving the uneven pattern of productivity growth is the very strong economic performance of inner-city areas where high-value knowledge industries have clustered. Jobs growth in Sydneys traditional economic hubs such as the CBD, North Sydney, Macquarie Park and suburbs near Sydney airport has been much stronger than in outer metropolitan areas. The Canberra-based Regional Australia Institute has found incomes in the outer suburbs of big cities are only a little higher than in regional areas, despite higher house prices. It also found productivity and employment were comparable in outer suburbs and regional areas. The institute says this shows there is potential to shift population growth from outer suburbs to nearby regional cities. It has identified 15 regional cities near to major metro areas with populations between 100,000 and 1 million that are candidates for additional population growth. 'It would be a shame if they have got to go back to Sydney'
Bernie Evens, an 83-year-old Sister of Mercy nun is desperate to stop the Rajalingam family from leaving Bathurst because they can't find jobs. She drove Devarani Rajalingam, 22, to a job interview an hour away on Friday. Ms Rajalingam will need a drivers' licence if she gets the job, so Sister Bernie, the deputy chair of the Bathurst Refugee Support Group, is teaching her to drive. Next week, Sister plans to personally deliver a resume from Ms Rajalingam's husband's Thileeban to a local builder looking for cleaners. Thileeban and Devarani Rajalingam are desperate to find work so they can stay in Bathurst. Credit:David Porter "I am going to do it," she says. " [Mr Rajalingam] has taken his resume everywhere and gets no response. What do you say? The squeaky wheel gets the oil." It's a technique that has landed job interviews for others, says the nun who first worked teaching the children of around 100,000 migrants who were sent straight from the boat to a migrant camp at Kelso outside Bathurst from 1948 into the 1950s. Later she worked overseas at refugee camps.
"It would be a shame if they have got to go back to Sydney because they like it here, and we like them," she says of the Rajalingams. The couple arrived in Australia as refugees, but after some complications, they are now on bridging work visas and don't have access to Centrelink support. Megan Dixon, the director of regional development at Regional Development Australia, says migration is essential if the area known as Orana in western NSW is to grow more. Projects were at risk without workers coming into the region. "Wed love them to be bound and stay longer," she says, because it would encourage migrants to settle. Sister Bernie Evens in Bathurst. Credit:David Porter Orana Regional Development had been lobbying the federal government for a program to settle more migrants in regional areas. But for it to work, Dixon says more people needed someone like a Sister Bernie to help them develop roots in the community.
Orana, which already processes visas to identify workers who could find work in the region, is developing a pilot program using facilitators to better match migrants to the skills of employers. Five of the 12 local government areas in the region (which includes Dubbo, Mudgee, Warren and Cobar, have unemployment rates less than three per cent. (Unemployment in Bathurst, which is not in the Orana region, is about 3.5 per cent.) Loading "When you have below 3 per cent unemployment rate, there are definitely jobs around ... ranging around from KFC to working at a place like an abattoir, such as Fletchers in Dubbo," she says. Many employers had a mix of skilled and unskilled jobs. "We know where the vacancies are, it'd about matching and encouraging." Construction work is expected to generate 17,000 jobs in the region, she says, but many of these projects would be jeopardised without migrant workers moving in to fill the gaps.
The Regional Australia Institute is optimistic about the prospects for migrants outside the major metropolitan cities, even in very small towns. Its research found that locally-led migrant strategies have been the most successful in settling and finding work for migrants. A spokesperson for the institute said small towns like Pyramid Hill, Nhill and Hamilton in Victoria have looked at the workforce demand in their own town and matched migrants looking to move out to regional areas. "These strategies have worked because they match the right migrants to the right communities," she says. The institute has called for more targeted public investment in regional areas with the specific aim of expanding local industries or building the capacity of the local workforce. It recently evaluated the impact of $4.6 billion in regional development funding invested by federal and state governments between 2011 and 2016 and found only 23 per cent went to projects that had a direct purpose to stimulate economic or business growth in a region. Rawnsley says one way to reduce the uneven economic growth across NSW is to create a European-style settlement pattern with fast rail transport between regional centres. That would allow Sydney to provide some of the benefits of big city agglomeration to places like Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast.
Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn knows exactly what to do with lazy employees.
The founder of the language-learning app, which has been valued at $US700 million ($960 million), recently discussed his strategy for dealing with unengaged employees in an interview with the Financial Times.
You can turn somebody from being a lazy person to being the most committed person if they honestly believe that the company and you, as a leader, think what theyre doing is important, von Ahn told the Financial Times.
Duolingo chief Luis von Ahn.
Its amazing how motivating it is to sit with somebody and say, What youre doing is really important. I use that a lot.
It's a long stretch of the bow to compare God's separation of light from darkness with William Robinson's early experiments in etching, but this is what Vanessa van Oooyen does in her catalogue essay for the exhibition, William Robinson: Genesis, at the S.H.Ervin Gallery. It may be a measure of just how much Robinson's work is revered north of the border.
Perhaps the strangest part in these famous words from the Book of Genesis is the emphasis on the word "was". It makes God sounds like an audio buff who's just tested a new set of speakers, or a foodie visiting a fashionable restaurant. "Wow! That was good."
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Detail of The sea with morning sun from Springbrook, 1996, by William Robinson. Credit:Source: QUT Art Collection, purchased through the William Robinson Art Collection Fund and a partial donation by Michael Gleeson-White
The same reverence is present in a "message" credited to Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, but possibly ghost-written by Sir Les Patterson, which tells us that Robinson "is one of the few Australian landscape artists working today", suggesting that many thousands of others have gone out on strike.
Such unstinting praise must be gratifying but faintly embarrassing to Robinson himself. He was a late bloomer, so cautious and self-critical that he was in his 50s before his work received national recognition. His entries in the Archibald Prize, which he won on two occasions, have been humorous, self-deprecating self-portraits that allowed scope for broad social satire. Whenever he speaks about himself Robinson is a study in modesty, although no artist achieves what he has without a healthy ego.
Genesis is an exhibition put together by Van Ooyen, who is Senior Curator of the William Robinson Gallery, on the grounds of the Queensland University of Technology. It may not be the first museum in Australia dedicated to a single artist (another of the Premier's claims) but it's easily the handsomest, being housed in the former Governor's residence, completed in 1862.
The show has already toured to Washington DC and Paris before returning for seasons in Hamilton, Victoria and Sydney. It's neither a retrospective nor a "greatest hits" package, but a survey that looks at Robinson's work in the fields of painting, drawing and printmaking from 1977-2006. The artist is known primarily for his paintings of the Queensland rain forest, but this show also includes work from his earlier Farmyard series; self-portraits (including the fabulous equestrian self-portrait that won the Archibald in 1987), and lithographs showing whimsical views of Paris.
Less
Less by Andrew Sean Greer.
By Andrew Sean Greer
As a man fast-approaching middle age, I clearly recall my teenage years furtively investigating the scant available queer film and literature options. I'd often wonder if I was more or less alone. The Western world has changed a lot since then, and representation on our big and small screens has very much improved, even though the Hollywood casting system still favours award-baiting straight stars and suspiciously few out-and-proud performers. Mainstream books by queer authors have also multiplied since the early breakthrough of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City in 1978, but they haven't accrued as much critical attention.
That changed this year with the stunning upset of Andrew Sean Greer's gloriously happy-sad, romantic-comic novel Less scooping the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Recalling Maupin's sweet-hearted, sassy spirit, it relays the hapless odyssey of struggling author Arthur Less. About to turn 50, he frets about his place in the grand American canon and is desperate to flee the impending wedding of his younger ex-lover. Less decides to accept all the random invitations in his inbox, resulting in a global misadventure which includes stops in Berlin, Paris and Kyoto, plagued with lost luggage and injuries both physical and spiritual. It's a simple yet deceptively smart novel, which manages to be snort-inducingly funny and elicit heart-swooning tears, often in the space of a paragraph.
In 2016 McNeill had secured Miroshnik as a "premium" advertiser on her influential online forum, where some 20,000 Australians a week visit to discuss and seek information and referrals on everything from boob jobs to Brazilian butt lifts. Plastic surgeons such as Miroshnik can pay up to $2000 a week to have a sponsored "tile" advertisement on the site. Such tiles pop-up on a visitor's screen whenever a key word or phrase is mentioned on the forum that could lead to a potential customer. However, according to McNeill, Miroshnik became "difficult" and would repeatedly complain about the treatment he was getting on the forum. Over 18 months McNeill says she was "bombarded" with text messages and heated phone calls complaining that Miroshnik be featured more prominently. Miroshnik complained in 2016: "Just reading the forum from bed while watching tv as usual and i can see you are definitely starting to slant towards kt [rival Sydney breast specialist Kourosh Tavakoli, who calls himself Sydney's "King of Boobs"]. Rival surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli, Sydney's 'King of Boobs', with a staff member. Credit:Peter Rae
"Always praising him. Steering in his direction whenever anyone mentions. Whereas when I am mentioned nothing." When McNeill posted a "five-star review" of one of Miroshnik's "after" photos of a breast enlargement, Miroshnik sent McNeill a message complaining that a "before" image was not included. "I sometimes wonder if you are helping or hindering me." In another message to McNeill, he wrote, "You forget all the things I've done for u ... mentor, introductions to surgeons, all my mates etc". After heated phone calls Miroshnik messaged McNeill saying, "Am sorry for raising my voice I feel bad now". A day later he sent another message: "For what it's worth I hated myself after that series of calls ... it's actually quite strange it's so unlike me or my nature to ever get like that over anything."
McNeill told PS she felt "bullied" and repeatedly informed Miroshnik his behaviour was unacceptable and that his commercial arrangement as an advertiser did not include editorial control over the forum. Miroshnik declined to comment. Cat Henesey-Smith with Nick Cummins from this year's season of The Bachelor. Credit:Instagram Trouble in paradise The latest season of Channel Ten's Bachelor series has certainly attracted one keen viewer ... in France. Pascale Masson was very keen to find out more about one of the Aussie Bachelorettes, the resident "villain" on the show, fashion designer Cat Henesey-Smith, who until June had been renting Masson's Balinese villa for a year prior.
After Henesey-Smith's departure, Masson says her once pristine villa was in a "filthy, disgusting state", but Henesey-Smith says she left it "spotless". Masson said her cream sofa had to be reupholstered after "dirty stains, oil, food, red wine and other things I do not recognise" could not be cleaned off. Masson travelled to Bali and spent six weeks trying to fix the damage. She told PS her polished concrete kitchen benchtops and sink had been "ruined" with yet more staining, while the state of her bathroom was "appalling", with thick brown sludge caked onto the shower floor. Before and after photos reveal the extent of the filth, along with damaged furniture, a smashed flat-screen television, holes in walls and a litany of other problems. However Henesey-Smith told PS: "The house was spotless, professionally cleaned and inspected prior to my departure. It was three weeks after I handed my keys back that I was contacted by the agent saying that the house was not clean. If the agent was dissatisfied I would have expected a response within 24 to 48 hours. I am unaware what happened or who was in the house in those three weeks after I returned the keys.
Masson said her agent had been unable to get hold of Henesey-Smith about the state of the villa, and that she had not responded to emails on the matter. Repairs and cleaning had cost Masson $US10,000, but some things were "unfixable". "It was so heart-breaking. My villa was so beautiful. She fired my cleaner and I don't think the place was ever properly cleaned. She also stopped paying the garbage collector and when I arrived there was a mountain of trash, which in Bali is a real problem with all the rats and animals in the tropics." Henesey-Smith's father had helped pay for the $8000 rental of the property, which in Bali is paid upfront for the period of the lease. Sky's the limit for Napoleon No one makes an entrance quite like make-up maestro Napoleon Perdis.
When Perdis launched his eponymous range of beauty potions and products at Myer a few years back, he arrived at the department store's flagship shop window atop an army truck, wearing a lurid, electric blue, glitter onesie. Napoleon Perdis atop his army tank launching into Myer in 2013. On Tuesday night in a Brisbane jet hangar, PS was among the gathering of Kardashian-lookalike beauty contestants, I mean consultants, (and that was just the fellas), magazine editors and retailers to witness Perdis arrive. Amid the heaving cocktail party, complete with thumping dance music, lobster hot dogs and blinding lasers, a very loud private jet taxied toward us. Oddly, no one saw it actually land. On board was the Perdis payload: Napoleon, wife Soula Marie and their four teenage daughters dressed to the nines and in towering heels, the family having only just been in the front row of the Brisbane Fashion Festival 45 minutes before where one of the city's more demure fashionistas, Dame Quentin Bryce looking chic in black, got her first introduction to Perdis in all his technicolour glory.
Napoleon Perdis in his technicolour finery, with Dame Quentin Bryce in Brisbane on Tuesday. Back on board the pilot looked bemused and befuddled staring out the cockpit window as Napoleon stood atop his mini pedestal after disembarking, giving him a two-inch boost over the rest of us, and given the plane had been "driven" to the hangar, the scene did echo something out of Toad of Toad Hall. "Well, someone's got to do something a little bit 'out there', it's a boring world otherwise!" Perdis shouted to PS as he was mobbed by his staff. Indeed it was the "Priceline Jet", as the temporary sticker that had been freshly plastered on the side of the plane informed us, the discount chemist chain being the latest retail frontier for a new range of Perdis' products catering to the heartland of his customer base: the adoring young women across suburban and country Australia who want his "smoky eye" and "glossy lip" concoctions. Jones show up for a gong
There have been a few people in the radio industry surprised to see Alan Jones' show among the contenders for the annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards, given his recent "woodheap" comments, not to mention the big defamation trial he is at the centre of after being sued by Toowoomba's powerful Wagner family. But it is Jones' long-term and highly regarded producer Paul Christenson who is actually nominated, in the talkback category, with Jones having withdrawn from competition several years ago to give some of his rivals a go at winning. Alan Jones. Credit:Fairfax Media His 2GB stablemate Ray Hadley had done a similar thing, though it didn't last, with Hadley telling PS he had been encouraged to re-enter by organisers some time back. Hadley is up for a variety of gongs, including best talk presenter and best news presenter. Politics gets in way of party
Virginia Gay brought the house down on the opening night of Calamity Jane at the Belvoir St Theatre in Surry Hills on Saturday.
Virginia Gay as Calamity Jane getting amongst the crowd at the Belvoir St Theatre on Saturday.
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After a sold-out run at the Hayes Theatre in Potts Point last year, tickets are selling strongly for the Belvoir season (until September 30) where the Winners and Losers star shares her hilarious take on the frontierswoman in a role made famous by Doris Day in 1953.
Described as "part cabaret, part audience, with a splash of improvisation", there is a "complete disregard for the fourth wall", so it's best to avoid the front rows if you are not keen to get involved.
Griff Rhys Jones is bringing his live show, Where Was I, to Australia. Looking for a new angle, Jones says the executives at BBC decided to send him off to do activities he "wasn't really fit for". "I became a ridiculously late middle-aged Bear Grylls." But no, he says, he didn't get the point of drinking his own urine. "Can you imagine!" he roars. "No, the only survival problems were living in a bed and breakfast in the north-east." Jones is quite the raconteur and he's massaged his decades of anecdotes into a live stage show, Where Was I, which he's bringing to Australia where Jones has been a regular visitor for so long, he remembers a time when it was hard to find a cafe with outdoor seating. For someone who drinks 10 cups of coffee a day, this was a serious concern. "I do love coffee, although after about six, I'm in no fit state to count, am I? I used to have, I suppose, a series of vices, and I've reduced it to one."
Jones describes his live show as "ever-evolving". "It started off being anecdotal and the second half has now been entirely stand-up about travel, so it's really a sort of a stand-up show," he says. "I think some people come along thinking I'm just going to talk about my career, but that's not really what it's about. It's about the journey of getting older. And how when we get older, I, certainly, have got this terrible urge to go and see everywhere. So I travel a lot, along with a lot of other 65-year-olds. All the people who voted for Brexit, I think." Although most people his age are not abseiling down waterfalls, cleaning the windows of Manhattan skyscrapers (without a safety rope) or exploring the Torres Strait Islands. "All the things the BBC did to try and kill me," he says. "I have lots of stories about the extreme things I've been made to do, from kayaking to mountain climbing." In recent shows he's been opening with a crocodile-feeding tale from the Torres Strait Islands, but he's aware that might not seem so exotic for Australian crowds.
Despite his re-invention of an adventure man, Jones professes he's more a fan of cities (he's fronted two series of travel docos focusing on the world's great metropolises). "I'd actually say I'm obsessed with cities," he says. "I'm not really a big natural phenomenon person." So he wouldn't travel to see the Grand Canyon, or the Northern Lights then? "Well, I did take my wife to Manchester Airport that's what I call the northern lights." (He admits he did try and see the lights on a visit to Iceland, where he spent a chilly night standing on a hill waiting, eyes skyward, only for nothing to transpire).
Jones has also maintained a theatrical career as well, since winning a Laurence Olivier award in 1984 for Best Comedy performance for his role in the farce Charley's Aunt, and last year starred in a West End production of Moliere's The Miser. "I did a lot in the '80s and '90s, and I'm just getting back into it now," he says, adding that while the state of comedy particularly sketch comedy has changed, theatrical classics like The Miser underscore that what is essentially funny remains unchanged. "It's a very, very funny show, and you realise, Moliere was writing slapstick comedy back then, which every audience recognises and finds funny," he says. "People says there's nothing new under the sun, and I think that's probably true." In Britain in particular, he says, sketch comedy programs have been largely replaced by panel shows and stand-up. "Comedy has moved in all sorts of different directions although there are also brilliant comedy shows coming out, they just tend to come out in slightly different ways."
Programs like Alas Smith and Jones, which ran for an incredible 14 years, and included various Christmas specials and spin-offs, would never, he says, be produced today. "We used to have about 15 different sets just for one show the BBC would never do that today. We were very lucky, we had such an amazing toybox to play with, but it was an extreme thing." Coming off the back of the successful Not The Nine O'Clock news a benchmark in British comedy which launched the careers of its performers as well as the writers, among them Richard Curtis (Blackadder, Four Weddings and a Funeral), David Renwick (Jonathan Creek, One Foot in the Grave) and Colin Bostock Smith (Clive James) Alas Smith and Jones was massively popular, one of the top-rating comedy programs for years. During its heyday, Jones and Mel Smith, who died in 2013, set up the successful Talkback independent production company (which spawned huge hits like Alan Partridge and Never Mind the Buzzcocks), and both went on to work as comic actors and directors. Jones also reminisces about Smith in the show, especially given the fact the pair had talked about touring live together they'd bought the rights to Neil Simon's The Odd Couple for a mooted West End stage production that never came to fruition. "I do miss him," Jones says with a sigh. "We used to talk a lot about going on tour. But when I'm stage I often think of Mel looking down on me or looking up, in his case saying, you bastard. What are you doing going out on tour now I'm dead?' I do miss him."
Hugh Jackman is known for being one of Hollywood's nice guys, but in an upcoming film he's set to play an American presidential candidate embroiled in a sex scandal.
The Front Runner, due out later this year in the States and early next year in Australia, reimagines the real-life turmoil that struck former senator Gary Hart's 1988 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Jackman, 49, will play Hart in the film.
Many people consider the scandal a turning point in the media's treatment of politicians and their private lives paving the way for investigations into Bill Clinton's treatment of women and, later, Donald Trump's alleged affairs.
The film will explore everything from Hart's alleged affair with campaign aide Donna Rice, to the way newspaper outlets such as The Miami Herald staked out his townhouse. The Colorado senator was considered the frontrunner for the '88 Democratic nomination until he dropped out of the race, citing intense scrunity from the press.
DUMBO (64 minutes) G
Walt Disney and his team were at their very best (and least cloying) in this 1941 fable about a baby circus elephant mocked for his giant ears. Though the character's eventual comic triumph is never in doubt, there are traumatic moments along the way, including an extraordinary, nightmarish drunk sequence that suggests the animators had early access to LSD. Digitally projected. Thornbury Picture House, Saturday, September 1, 2pm. All tickets $12.
Damian Hill in West of Sunshine.
BICYCLE THIEVES (93 minutes) PG
At a time of economic crisis, an unemployed labourer (Lamberto Maggiorani) wanders the streets of Rome, with his small son (Enzo Staiola) by his side, in search of the thief who stole his bicycle. Vittorio de Sica's 1947 film is a historical landmark that defines "neo-realism" in Italian cinema and is still touching today. Digitally projected. Thornbury Picture House, Sunday, September 2, 2pm.
Phoebe Joel ring. Reflections Copenhagen "Harlem" vase. Phoebe Joel isn't just a jeweller, she's also a "sound healer" who uses Tibetan singing bowls to create vibrations that relieve pain and stress. The New York-based Sydneysider brings a similar sense of repetition, rhythm and pattern to this ring in black stainless steel. Phoebe Joel ring, $US130, phoebejoel.com We're a fan of this vase from Reflections Copenhagen, known for mirrored pieces that combine 1930s glamour with 1980s excess. You can find it at Jardan, an Australian-owned brand offering local and international wares. Reflections Copenhagen "Harlem" vase, $650, jardan.com.au Nique "Emiri" T-shirt.
Aussie brand Nique has recruited a new creative director, Nadia Jones (sister of Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior menswear), to build its reputation for clothes that reference Japanese architecture and street style, such as this T-shirt with an asymmetrical hem. Nique "Emiri" T-shirt, $70, nique.com.au Zakkia corkscrew. An Anya Smells "anti-fragrance" candle. Pop your cork in style with this striking sculptural corkscrew from Zakkia. The Sydney-based homewares brand champions contemporary handcrafted Australian design with a distinct Scandinavian edge. Zakkia corkscrew, $24, thestore.com.au
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Maezawa sits on a red leather chair at a vast, white, moon-like table inside one of the meeting-room pods, tapping away on an iPhone in a Louis Vuitton case. He's not wearing a Zozosuit but he points out that his grey T-shirt and blue jeans are from the Zozo collection. "I have every single Zozo item, in every colour," he says. "Actually, I can't wear any other denim now because these fit me so perfectly." Later he admits: "I'm quite short compared to average sizes, so it has always been difficult to find a perfect fit. It's something that's bothered me for a long time. I realised that if I was having trouble finding perfectly fitting clothing, then many others must have the same problem." So what was it like trying out the Zozosuit himself? "I am not exaggerating, but I was really very moved," he tells me, animated. "And when I tried on the first pair of denim pants, I was really impressed." Now his company motto is, "Make the world a better place, bring smiles to the world", though his own personal goal is somewhat more focused: he wants to revolutionise the way that people shop for their clothes online, and to become one of the world's top 10 apparel companies. "I'm hoping to target as many people as there are in the world: six or seven billion," he says. "I want the idea of ordering bespoke online clothing to become part of the infrastructure of daily life, just like electricity, water, gas." The Zozosuits themselves are largely made in China, using automated pattern-cutting techniques based on thousands of templates for various body shapes, though he plans to open smaller production bases around the world.
The suits cost around 1000 (about $12) to make but are sent to customers free of charge. Though it sounds like an odd business model, Maezawa is banking on high Zozo sales to generate a profit. The company forecasts 20 billion ($2.48 billion) in sales in the financial year starting in 2020, 40 per cent of which is expected to be from outside Japan. A Zozosuit owner shows off her spots. Credit:Instagram As someone who has avoided skin-tight clothes since my childhood ballet classes, the idea of putting on a clingy polka-dot Zozosuit doesn't exactly appeal. But as I unwrap it from its plastic packaging (just the right size to fit in a letterbox), I'm struck by how soft and light it feels. It's surprisingly easy to squeeze into. First I pull on the leggings, which reach about halfway down my feet and have cut-out heel holes, and then the crew-neck top, which has thumb holes. The effect doesn't fill me with joy it clings unforgivingly to my post-babies body but thankfully it's not designed to be worn in public, just for taking measurements at home. To take the measurements, I open the Zozo app, which I've downloaded onto my smartphone. Then I place my phone on a cardboard stand (which comes with the Zozosuit), and put it on a table that's roughly waist height, about 20 centimetres away from the table edge. As soon as the sensors clock me, a voice from the app kicks in and politely asks me to step to the left a bit, then to the right, until I'm standing in the correct spot, ready to be measured.
Next, I do a twirl in a series of tiny steps as the voice counts from one to 12 and the camera takes photos. Afterwards, my measurements appear on my screen, accompanied by a graph comparing them with the Japanese averages. I find my neck circumference is 1.7 centimetres bigger than the Japanese average. One of Maezawa's team diplomatically points out, "But your legs are a bit longer than average." A few clicks later, I've ordered a crew-neck T-shirt and slim-line jeans. A parcel arrives on my Tokyo doorstep in less than 24 hours. Total cost? Just 5870 ($72). The T-shirt fits well, neither too tight nor overly baggy. My dark-blue jeans are surprisingly stylish but also a little loose around the waist. I deliberately tried not to hold my tummy in during the pictures in case the clothing was made too tight, but perhaps I relaxed too much. The leg length, however, is spot-on, particularly refreshing given I'm only 150 centimetres tall and often struggle to find trousers that fit well. And best of all? The jeans look so much better than the Zozosuit. Spot shot the Zozosuit, for all to see. Credit:Instagram In the early days after the launch of the Zozosuit, Maezawa had a bumpy start. Delays in delivery were reported in some of the local press and an earlier version of the Zozosuit was replaced with the current "improved" version. Scroll through Instagram today and it's another story. Thousands of Japanese owners have posted selfies of themselves dressed in the eye-popping suits; a few have even dressed their dogs in them. There are pictures of people wearing Zozosuits while working in offices, drinking tea, even doing yoga (fortunately the suit is machine-washable). Then there is "Isoppmen", a former breakdance champion who posted a series of videos online, including one of a dance troupe performing bouncy, boyband-style routines while all wearing the suit.
A former Australian navy commander caught up in a massive bribery and corruption scandal that enveloped the US Navy's top brass told a court on Friday he did not speak up because he feared retribution.
Lieutenant Commander Alexander Gillett in a photo dated March 31. Credit:Navy Publications
Alexander Bryan Gillett said the corruption cultivated by the man known as "Fat Leonard" was all pervasive and he did not know who to turn to, either knowing or fearing that even the officers in his senior command were in the crooked tycoon's illegal network.
Fat Leonard, real name Leonard Francis, would lavish the US Navy commanders on board the USS Blue Ridge with extravagant parties in Asias most expensive five-star hotels, in exchange for sensitive information about the US 7th Fleets movements.
The tugboat owner and president of Glenn Defence Marine Asia, a Singapore-based defence contractor, spent years developing sources on the Blue Ridge for classified information.
Missing Canberra boy Phoenix Mapham was on foot in a remote area of Tallaganda National Park with no warm clothes, no water and no obvious place to take shelter when police found him on Thursday afternoon, bringing an end to a week-long search.
About 4.40pm, two police officers on trail bikes found the six-year-old and his mother Tessa Woodcock in an area off the Mulloon fire trail, in the national park south of Canberra.
Phoenix Mapham with his father Cliff Mapham and their bird Green Bean on Friday. Father and son were reunited on Thursday night,
Ms Woodcock, who does not have custody of Phoenix, allegedly took him unlawfully from Orana Steiner School in Weston about 1.30pm on Thursday, August 23.
Officers were able to pinpoint the pair's location after smelling a fire, having earlier been tipped off by a member of the public who was suspicious after spotting a woman and small boy in the Carwoola area.
There's something both beautiful and eerie about the forensics building at AFP Majura.
It's a stunning piece of architecture but it sits in deathly silence, with nothing but the sound of the wind whispering through Majura pines to keep you company on the long walk from your car. It's as if the intelligence building from Criminal Minds was accidentally plonked on top of the sheriff's station in Twin Peaks.
I'm at the forensics building to learn about the process behind an AFP 'face-fit' - the image of a 'suspect' developed by artists to assist police in the investigation of a crime. My interest was piqued a couple of weeks ago when police released this face-fit image of a man who allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old boy in the Canberra suburb of Rivett.
Pulling together my face-fit with the help of AFP forensic artists Michelle (far left) and Melanie (closest to screen). Credit:Karleen Minney
It shocks me that in the modern world of CCTV and mobile phones, we still rely on face-fits (formerly police sketches) to assist with solving crimes. And I wonder whose day job it is to listen to witness descriptions and compile faces.
The news was recent and their pain and anguish raw.
Under a grey sky and steady drizzle, family members of filmmaker James Ricketson gathered in a Marrickville park on Friday to express concern at the journalist's six-year sentence for espionage by a judge in Cambodia.
We arent really used to doing this sort of thing said Bim Ricketson facing a bank of cameras like those used by his uncle.
Australian filmmaker James Ricketson speaks from a prison truck during a lunch break at Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday. Credit:AP
As others controlled their emotion, he spoke for them all. "Its fair to say we are completely devastated to hear that James has been found guilty of espionage," he said. "He is not a spy. He was making a film about a country that he loves.
Australia's Catholic leaders have vowed to end the cover-up of child sexual abuse but steadfastly refuse to break the seal of confession, even if it means priests could face criminal charges.
The leaders have vowed the Catholic Church's shameful history of priests and others in its ranks sexually abusing children will never be repeated.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Mark Coleridge, left, has released the Australian Catholic Church's response to the child abuse royal commission. Credit:Melissa Adams
They pledged accountability and a plan of action in response to a call for sweeping reforms issued by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
It will be up to Pope Francis and his advisers to act on many of the royal commission's far-reaching recommendations and its implications for centuries-old canon law.
Two men have been charged after a string of alleged incidents that started with a screaming match inside a car in Sydney's west on Friday morning, and ended in a crash that left a woman with critical head injuries.
Police were initially called to respond to an alleged domestic violence incident outside a home on Dwyer Road, Leppington, about 7.30am, in which a man and woman inside a Subaru WRX were heard shouting at each other.
The ruckus was loud enough to bring a concerned resident out from his home, attempting to intervene.
That man was allegedly threatened with a loaded firearm, and a shot was fired in his direction.
He told the inquiry the soldiers were given full medical tests, including blood tests and X-rays to the back of their eyes after being told they had to take part in the trial if they wanted to deploy. Our skin turned bright yellow and our eyes went black, he said. At the end of their deployment, the soldiers underwent the same tests when they returned home, but he said they were not provided with details about the results. These final tests were the last time I ever saw anyone from the Australian Army Malaria Institute, he said. We were told there would be follow up tests six months and 12 months [later], but these never eventuated.
The veteran said when back home, he experienced constant issues including anger, anxiety, depression and vertigo. He suffered a mental breakdown in 2016. Some days I had to leave [work] as I would have actually killed someone with no regret at all, he said. The anxiety and anger was uncontrollable. This was not the life I wanted to live. Veterans detailed the pain they suffered in the years after taking the drugs. Credit:Phil Carrick A second soldier described the unit who deployed to East Timor as brothers who worked well together, but once they arrived things started going terribly wrong.
Paranoia and anxiety began showing throughout the soldiers who had taken mefloquine, he said, claiming one man set off a grenade and injured himself. Guys started doing really stupid shit, unexplainable. Id start fighting with the guys in my group, Id get paranoid they were talking about me, he said. After deployment The veteran said when he returned home, things worsened as he experienced horrific nightmares and convulsions at night, attacking his partner in his sleep without realising it. He told the inquiry that he and many others who had taken the drugs turned to alcohol to cope with the worsening symptoms.
Guys were realising they were getting violent on alcohol, so they started taking MDMA to get a calming effect but ultimately that wound up biting them in the arse, he said. A third veteran told the inquiry he too had nightmares once he began taking the drug, but kept them to himself for fear of being sent home. Over the years I thought I was mentally fine but the real truth was I had changed since returning from Timor, he said. My wife had said to me a few times that I needed to go see someone about all my anger issues. He said it was not until he attempted suicide that he realised how bad things were, and sought help.
Diagnosed with PTSD, the veteran said the diagnosis puzzled him as he could not think of any particular traumatic incident that would have triggered it. It wasnt until I read about the side effects to mefloquine and tafenoquine that I started to realise that yes, I do have PTSD which was caused by the drugs I was taking. Soldiers and their families are concerned the effects are not being taken seriously. Credit:Glenn Campbell Urgent calls for changes to treatment
On Friday afternoon, after the three men had presented their evidence, the former 1RAR commanding officer told the inquiry he was concerned for the wellbeing of soldiers he had once commanded. The commander said he too had taken mefloquine during the East Timor deployment, experiencing vivid dreams every night he took the drug, but no other symptoms. He said his understanding was that every soldier who had taken part in the trial signed a consent form. I am concerned that there is more to it than just the treatment of PTSD because what Im seeing is its not just neuropsychotic, its neurotoxic, the commander told the inquiry. The commander said he urgently wanted to see research undertaken to determine the effects of the medication, and acknowledgement that the side-effects of the drugs should not be treated as if they were traditional PTSD.
He also called for the active identification of every soldier who was given mefloquine and tafenoquine. The commander said there needed to be immediate communication with those soldiers doctors and psychiatrists that a different treatment protocol was needed than that of PTSD. I want help for these Diggers now, he said. A Facebook group gave all three men their first indications they were not alone in their suffering. The soldiers detailed their discovery of the group - run by Stuart McCarthy, another former soldier who took mefloquine during a Defence trial and has spearheaded a national campaign for recognition and support - as an overwhelming relief.
Several crashes on the Pacific Motorway around Brisbane have kept emergency services busy on Friday morning, though no serious injuries were reported.
Delays built along the Pacific Motorway on Friday morning. Credit:Queensland Traffic
Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Michael Low said paramedics attended two multi-vehicle accidents during peak hour on the Pacific Motorway.
"We had a five-vehicle accident near Rochedale South, and a three-vehicle involving a rollover near Holland Park," he said.
"Fortunately there havent been any serious injuries."
Thao Le with her catch at the Warmies on Friday afternoon. Credit:Jason South
Dozens of people gathered to fish at a popular Newport angling spot late on Friday despite warnings from authorities that the water was contaminated with chemicals following a massive factory fire in Melbourne's west.
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Dead fish and birds washed up along the banks of nearby Stony Creek after toxic chemicals and firefighting foam entered the waterway while crews worked to extinguish a factory fire in the city's west.
The huge warehouse fire in West Footscray caused toxic smoke to billow across Melbourne's western suburbs on Thursday, and was described by authorities as one of the biggest blazes the city had seen in decades.
They have also issued a warning against eating fish from the lower part of the Maribyrnong River from the West Gate Brige. MFB incident controller Trent Curtain addressed the media on Friday morning: "The EPA and DHHS are telling us that air quality is safe for the community, the air quality is good."
"It's safe for the community to move about... The air quality is good in our community today and we will not be closing schools or making recommendations to do so like yesterday," he said. Incident controller Trent Curtin at the scene of the factory blaze on Friday morning. Credit:Simon Schluter
A Department of Health spokeswoman said while paramedics had been on stand-by, there had been no spike in smoke-related incidents over the past 24 hours. "Ambulance Victoria are on standby and have reported no patients presenting to on-site crews, and no increase in normal respiratory related call-outs," she said. "There has been no reported spike in emergency department presentations due to the smoke in the area." Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp said on Friday morning the EPA had monitored air quality overnight and he was confident conditions were safe. Black smoke poured out of the burning factory throughout Thursday. Credit:Jason South
"What we are picking up at the moment is ... it's good, it's very good. There are no issues and schools will be up and running again today," he told radio station 3AW. Firefighters are likely to remain at the scene of the blaze for days. On Friday, 60 firefighters and 25 appliances remained at the scene. "They plan on getting large machinery on site today to slowly pull it apart, get more water on it ... we are talking two, three, four days. They don't want to commit to how long but there's some dirty work over the next few days for the firies," said Mr Crisp. Mr Curtin said firefighters were struggling to access the middle of the building.
"Firefighters undertook a significant aggressive attack but were unable to get access to the main area of the fire in the middle of the building due to the nature of the products in the building and the size of the building," he said. "There are a whole range of products in the factory: scrap metal, acetones, paint products, oxy acetylene cylinders which were exploding yesterday. It's very difficult to gain access." Loading There is no indication the cause of the fire was suspicious, however investigators and Victoria Police detectives are examining the scene. Irate residents piled into the Footscray Town Hall on Thursday evening for a community meeting about the blaze. They were informed canisters of paint and aerosol cans may have been the cause of explosions inside the factory.
The fire was deemed to be under control by 10pm on Thursday, however smoke is still billowing and the "Watch and Act" message for 19 suburbs remains in place. Somerville Road and Paramount Road remain closed. Smoke from the factory fire in West Footscray continued to drift across the city's western suburbs. Credit:Eddie Jim Strong winds are set to continue on Friday, sending the acrid smoke which smells like nail polish to the south. Showers will also bring the smoke closer to the ground, making the smell stronger for locals.
Victoria's first supervised injecting room has received 8000 visits in its first two months, with work set to begin on a new, purpose-built facility on the same site.
So far the North Richmond centre has responded to 140 overdoses, which the government said would otherwise have been fatal.
Dr Nico Clark, medical director at the injecting room, launches the centre. Credit:Darrian Traynor
However, a question mark hangs over its future if there is a change of government, with the opposition promising to shut down the centre if its elected in November.
The Andrews government has committed to a two-year trial of the medically supervised injecting room.
In a meticulously researched new book, Plea Negotiations: Pragmatic Justice in an Imperfect World, by Dr Asher Flynn and Professor Arie Freiberg (for brevity we will call them "the AFs"), we are taken inside the process that keeps the system working. Supreme Court judges on the march. Credit:Michele Mossop The good professor is an expert on such matters and has been the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council's chairman since 2004 - a position that has put him at odds with many who advocate castration for jaywalking - while Dr Flynn is a criminologist based at Monash University. So why do people plead guilty? Largely because they did it. But why not roll the dice? Because the prosecution offers sweeteners, some that are obvious, others not so. For prosecutors there is the certainty of a win, the shielding of witnesses and victims from the bruises of testifying, reducing the backlog of cases and a chance to have a snappy lunch before going back to the office.
For defence lawyers, it reduces clients ultimate sentences, brings certainty to the outcome and gives them a chance for a snappy lunch on the way back to the office. The two AFs found there are 14 separate types of plea negotiations that result in the accused admitting a form of guilt. The truth is the facts, the charges and the level of contrition can be manipulated to keep the matter away from an adversarial hearing, which means the jury trial is now the option of last resort. Professor Arie Freiberg. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones As one defence lawyer puts it in the book: Well my preferred terminologys horse trading. Im serious ... thats what it is. After looking at 50 plea negotiations between 2013 and 2017, the AFs found the popular deals revolve around withdrawing the more serious charge if the offender pleads to a lesser one, rolling up a number of charges into one general offence (50 per cent of all charges are dropped) and fact bargaining, when both sides agree to a statement of events to put before the court.
The defence pushes for a version to make their client look more like Mahatma Gandhi than Mick Gatto, while the prosecution want something that gets the case done and dusted. The book looks at one case where the accused was charged with armed robbery on the basis that he was armed with both an imitation firearm and a knife. The defence offered to plead guilty to armed robbery if the reference to the knife was removed from the summary of facts. This was agreed to by the prosecution. So the facts were altered to get the desired result. Other deals include dropping further investigations, organising bail, promising not to charge associates with related offences, witness protection in exchange for information and other inducements. When the underworld hitman known as "The Runner" agreed to plead guilty and give evidence against drug dealer and killer Carl Williams, he was asked what he wanted in return. He responded he had a hankering for a vanilla slice (he also received protection and a massive sentence discount, which means in judicial terms he had his cake and ate it too). A vanilla slice: Crooks love 'em. Credit:Anna Warr Purana detectives get their man: Carl Williams' arrest. Credit:Angela Wylie
Plea deals proved to be a massive weapon during the Underbelly War, resulting in Purana smashing the underworld code of silence, laying charges over 17 killings and preventing six planned homicides. The greatest incentive to plead guilty is the sentence discount, usually around 30 per cent for saving the cost of a trial and the witnesses the trauma of cross-examination. There appears to be a presumption that admitting guilt comes with a measure of remorse, when the decision is more often based on self-interest than self-awareness. In some cases the offender can double or triple-dip - getting a discount for the guilty plea, a second from the watered-down version of facts and a third from dumping the most severe charges. The AFs found the recent hairy-chested trend of governments introducing mandatory sentences is encouraging offenders to limbo dance under that rigid new bar. Evidence from the interviews conducted for the current study also found that in the face of mandatory sentences, defendants were tempted, or pressured, to plead guilty to a lesser charge that did not carry a mandatory sentence.
The authors conclusion is that plea negotiations are conducted in good faith and are vital to the justice process: This is not a lawless system, but nor is it perfect. The pressure to avoid trials can leave some of those involved bewildered and disillusioned. Take the case of Jason Paul Coomber - a man who back on April 15, 2012, lost control of his car and smashed into a tree at Arthurs Creek, killing his passenger, Rhiannon Joy McMahon, 24, the mother of a two-year-old girl. Coomber was driving an unroadworthy car, was high on a cocktail of methamphetamines, ice and GHB, and hadnt slept for two days. He was charged with culpable driving, which has a maximum sentence of 20 years. Despite having a filthy record, pretending he didnt know his dying passenger and blaming everyone at the initial hearings - including good samaritans at the scene and emergency workers at the hospital - he was allowed to plead guilty to the much lesser charge of dangerous driving causing death, which carried a maximum of five years. Far from showing remorse, his legal team argued Coomber suffered from the sleeping disorder narcolepsy - deflecting the fact that he had enough drugs in him to drop a bison. He was sentenced to a minimum of 15 months.
As the victims father Michael told me: "I know nothing can bring Rhiannon back. But you do lose faith in the legal system." Cases need to be negotiated but every now and again there is a howler, such as the case of Constable Ben Ashmole, shot in the head in 2015 by career criminals Sam Liszczak and Rod Phillips. Sam Liszczak was charged after the shooting of police officer Ben Ashmole. Followed by Ashmole in a marked police car, they did a U-turn and fired a shotgun at him from less than five metres. If he had not ducked he would have been killed instantly - instead he was hit by 14 pellets, 11 of which remain embedded in his skull. Even though a magistrate committed them for trial on attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years, intentionally causing serious injury (20 years) and recklessly causing serious injury (15 years), the backroom deal allowed them to plead to recklessly causing injury (five years).
Health authorities are warning the public against weight-loss products containing a toxic chemical that have caused multiple deaths in Australia and overseas.
The drugs containing the chemical 2,4 dinitrophenol (DNP) are marketed as "shredders" to the fitness, weight-loss and body-building communities.
But the toxic substance used to make herbicides and explosives has been known to "cook" organs, causing serious illness and death.
Several young people have died after taking the drugs in Australia and internationally, according to NSW Health.
NSW police would not comment on the cases.
A man has been jailed for 10 years over a terrifying crime spree committed just days after being released from prison in 2016.
For the first time WAtoday can reveal new details surrounding Herbert James Moore and his two-day crime spree in Rivervale which terrified women and men in their own homes.
Moore, 46, was sentenced on Friday in the WA District Court after being found guilty of seven offences following a jury trial earlier this year.
He was found guilty on all charges which ranged from multiple counts of aggravated burglary and one count of aggravated indecent assault.
As protests intensified over black cockatoo habitat destruction in south-east suburban bushland, the states environmental watchdog signalled it would look more closely at an industrial development planned to surround one of Perth's most biodiverse sites.
The City of Gosnells is rezoning for industrial development the bushland immediately surrounding Kenwicks Greater Brixton Street Wetlands, regarded as Perths most biodiverse site by eminent scientists including present and past WA Scientists of the Year, Professors Peter Newman and Kingsley Dixon.
Protesters from Save Brixton Street Wetlands form a giant black cockatoo at Yagan Square. Credit:Kate Hedley
With the Beeliar Group of professors from across the University of WA, Curtin, Murdoch and Edith Cowan universities, they have joined local residents to rally under the banner of Save the Great Brixton Wetlands.
In one block bordering the wetlands, the developer has already cleared eight hectares of Marri trees, a food source for the endangered forest red-tailed black cockatoo.
An ugly feud between the West Australian and federal governments over remote Aboriginal housing funding is becoming increasingly bitter and shows no sign of ending soon.
WA received $1.16 billion under the 10-year National Partnerships Agreement on Remote Housing, which expired in July, and was then offered $60 million over three years.
Politicians are arguing over the funding needed for remote housing.
The state government complained loudly, launching a $245,000 advertising campaign accusing the Commonwealth of walking away from the state's most vulnerable people.
That's when relations between Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and WA Housing Minister Peter Tinley turned ugly.
Police officers fear the force is "being cut back to the bone", warning the public will soon start to feel the result.
A new survey of officers carried out by the WA Police Union has shed some light on how frontline cops are really feeling about impending budget cuts.
The survey has also given an insight into officers' attitudes towards the McGowan government.
Young people would be mad to join this job, one officer said. Credit:File Image
About 1300 officers took part in the survey.
Having had two years to get used to the idea of light rail heading south though, the news that stage two was in doubt would have come as a rude shock to some, not least those who'd been buying up slabs of land in the Woden town centre. Labor announced light rail would go to the satellite city in September 2016 - a month out from the territory election - in what could reasonably be interpreted as a bid to win over voters in the new electorate of Murrumbidgee. The government said at the time it wanted minimal downtime between the construction of the two stages in order to continue an employment pipeline, and has poured $20 million into geotechnical studies, economic analysis and engineering design in order to make it happen. Another $12.5 million was set aside for project planning and associated works in the June budget. It set an ambitious timeline, aiming for Commonwealth approval in 2018-19, to sign contracts before the 2020 election, and break ground in 2020-21. But politicians on the hill threw a spanner in the works by launching a formal inquiry into the project earlier this year.
About 65 per cent of the route to Woden traverses land controlled by the National Capital Authority, and both the authority and the federal parliament will have to rubber-stamp the project before the first sod can be turned. Liberal Senator Zed Seselja pushed for the inquiry, saying it would provide the extra scrutiny he believed was missing from the first stage of the project. On that, the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories has certainly delivered. Transport Canberra and National Capital Authority officials have been hauled before the committee twice now, with its Liberal chair Ben Morton hellbent on figuring out why the ACT government wants to go over Commonwealth Bridge rather than Kings Avenue. The Griffins' plans for light rail throughout Canberra.
The Griffins initial vision for Canberra included many radial rail lines linking different parts of the city, including down Kings Avenue. The NCA says sticking to the Griffins plan would ensure the three jobs hubs at the junctions of the national triangle - Civic, Russell and Parliament House - were served by light rail, without the need to muck up the road geometry by jutting across the parliamentary triangle. But the ACT says that route would cost $300 million more and would fail to deliver the patronage, uplift in property value and urban renewal its banking on to make the project viable. Given the lasting, sub-optimal outcomes this would produce for Canberra, the ACT government is reluctant to support it, Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris said this week. Mr Morton has maintained his take on the project is not political, nor is he looking at the route as a whole.
We are looking at the impact on the national capital area and the parliamentary zone and that is all, Mr Morton said. Woden light rail route not in isolation But the territory government - which welcomed the inquiry in the same way one welcomes a landlord picking through their underwear drawer during a rental inspection - clearly resents the intrusion. Chief Minister Andrew Barr was blunt in saying a change in the federal political environment in 2019 would enable his government to get on with a number of projects, including light rail, a fast train to Sydney and a city deal. Future stages of light rail, laid out in the ACT government's latest submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.
Ms Fitzharris said Labor governments had a track record of investing in infrastructure in Canberra, including the Majura Parkway and Constitution Avenue, and Senator Seselja had proven he didn't have Canberrans' best interests at heart with his vote against restoring territory rights on euthanasia and his role in the Liberal party room coup against Malcolm Turnbull. The government points out in its submission to the inquiry its not looking at the Woden route in isolation, but rather as one spoke in a city-wide network. Belconnen and the airport will be next, with Kingston, Fyshwick, Tuggeranong, the Molonglo Valley and even Kippax earmarked for future stages. Only the future extension from Belconnen to Kippax would not trespass on designated areas and thus require the blessing of the authority, it notes wryly. In her comments this week, Ms Fitzharris said she encouraged the committee to think about the broader network when considering their approval processes for light rail stage two, and that she looked forward to their final report so the project could proceed with certainty as soon as possible. Presumably her statement was dictated through gritted teeth. But what happens if the federal government doesn't change, the committee rules out Commonwealth Avenue, and the light rail terminates in Civic as threatened?
Woden Valley Community Council president Fiona Carrick in front of some of Woden's derelict buildings. The Woden community is banking on light rail for urban renewal. Credit:Jay Cronan The situation has Woden Valley Community Council president Fiona Carrick worried. Its created uncertainty in the market. Woden suffered from that uncertainty for many years. We would hate to see Woden [light rail] not going ahead and investment being further entrenched in north Canberra, Ms Carrick said. Ms Fitzharris wouldnt be drawn on whether Wodens loss would be Belconnens gain, only that the timing of future stages would be looked at down the road, and she was sure that the committee would deliver a timely report (again, probably through clenched teeth). Civic to Gungahlin light rail 'great on its own'
But if the north-south spine of light rail was in doubt, would that make the Gungahlin to Civic leg less appealing for commuters? Professor Graham Currie, who is Monash Universitys Institute of Transport Studies Public Transport Research Group director, doesn't think so. Stage one is a self-contained project. Its ridership will grow as development in Canberra grows, Professor Currie said. Adding in stage two will boost ridership and if we dont do it we wont get that boost. Nevertheless stage one is a great project on its own.
Professor Currie visited Canberra last week to check out how construction on stage one was going, and believes the project is encouraging sustainable and attractive land uses without the need for endless car parks. Stage one light rail construction, as seen from City Hill. Credit:Elesa Kurtz Growth is going to happen anyway so more single occupancy cars, more need for car parks and congested roads are coming. Is that what you want? I think its better to have options and light rail transport is one of the highest quality options available for advanced cities. Its time for Canberra to become a big city in a smart way, Professor Currie said. He said the great losers if stage two was canned were the residents and workforce along that route, who would have to deal with the increase in congestion and car parks in the future. Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. An academic says if stage two of light rail is not completed workers and residents of south Canberra will suffer from endless car parks. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong
University of Canberra adjunct associate professor of economics Cameron Gordon thinks it would be better if the government put the brakes on on stage two until stage one actually begins running. Even then, he believes a demand study for Canberras public transport should have been done long before any track slab was laid. Construction workers laying the light rail concrete slab on Flemington road. Credit:Rohan Thomson Ive always been of the opinion that Canberra can justify light rail in theory but the problem is we havent really done a study or based the planning of light rail on where people are now, where theyre going to be in the future and where they want to go, Dr Gordon said. My own personal preference would have been to beef up the bus network then do light rail but they havent done that, theyve decided to do it in one sort of leg.
Dr Gordon said it wouldnt matter much if the second stage of light rail wasn't built as we still need to move most people on buses. However he has major concerns about the proposed bus network overhaul timed to integrate with light rail, again because of the absence of a demand study. Its a dangerous thing to have data when you dont understand what it means, Dr Gordon said. When buses arent well patronised its assumed people dont want to take the bus. The fact that just because theres not many people riding doesn't mean theres not demand. You need to ask people where they want to go and figure out your network around that. Benefits of light rail at 'a 10th of the cost'?
Even the academic who revived the idea of light rail for Canberra reckons the second stage could use a rethink. Professor Peter Newman, from Curtin University's Sustainability Policy Institute, co-authored a study in 1991 that concluded light rail could solve a myriad of Canberras existing and future problems, like urban sprawl, pollution and congestion. Now he says while their overarching proposal - which included traffic calming measures through the city and creating urban villages like the one being built at Macarthur Avenue - is still relevant, the technology has changed so much so that he no longer supports light rail. Instead, hes begun advocating for trackless trams. Ive been to China recently and looked at the new technology which is significantly better than anything else around at the moment for a 10th of the cost, Professor Newman said. Sydneys light rail is $120 million per kilometre, the Gold Coast is $127 million per kilometre. This is five to six million dollars per kilometre.
Light rail construction in Sydney has caused havoc. Business owners have even launched a $40 million class action. Credit:Jessica Hromas Those trams are electric with batteries on the roof, and use an optical guidance system to follow dashed white lines instead of having steel wheels on rails. They have been tested in the Chinese city Zhuzhou and hit the market in 2019. Because you dont have to dig up the road or install overhead wires, disruption is likely to be minimal, unlike in Sydney where fed-up business owners have launched a $40 million class action over the bungled build of their light rail.
However because the trams need to be recharged at stations, the stations become a focal point for building around, just like light rail stops. It means land development around stations is still very attractive and urban regeneration will be unlocked in the same way light rail does," Professor Newman said. Professor Newman believes that technology will overtake light rail, although the transit forms can be complementary. It can of course run on the same track as light rail, if its a grassed track it could run down there but in other parts of Canberra it would take over, Professor Newman said. However, ACT Property Council executive director Adina Cirson said there are economic benefits to be gained from tracks in the ground.
Rail lines dont move, bus routes do. Theres no greater certainty for people who are buying land, investing in development, and creating new communities, Ms Cirson said. David Pope cartoons on light rail from 2014. Politicians have been making hay out of the issue for a long time. Credit:David Pope Shes also concerned that the uncertainty around the route going ahead could have an effect on the revitalisation of Woden, which has only just begun. Developers like Geocon, Doma, Hindmarsh and KDM have invested millions of dollars into land in the Woden town centre, some biding their time for years only for the project now to be up in the air again. This really is the problem when politics comes into play with infrastructure projects, Ms Cirson said.
The Chinese Communist Party put Australia in the rhetorical naughty corner last December and kept it there for most of this year. Beijing signalled that it was angry at the Turnbull government's laws to limit foreign interference in Australian politics. Labor also supported the laws, making amends after the damaging scandal of Sam Dastyari. A rising chorus of concern went up as Australian companies and universities fretted that a furious dragon would unleash its anger on their business interests. Peak hysteria came from a business consultant who had once been Australia's ambassador to China, Geoff Raby. He demanded that Turnbull sack Bishop to rescue relations. So when Wang met Bishop in May, the encounter was closely watched. Would there be rapprochement or rage? According to Bishop there was rapprochement. According to China's official statements and state-owned media, there was rage. The clashing accounts dominated the Australian news coverage. Illustration: John Shakespeare
Bishop said the meeting on the sidelines of a Group of 20 meeting in Buenos Aires was warm and positive. Wang's ministry issued a stiff note stating that Australia must "take off their coloured glasses and look at China's development from a positive angle, and provide more co-operation between two countries instead of recoiling". It was all theatre, Bishop says now. "I'd had 12 or 13 formal meetings with Wang over the years," she tells me. "The Chinese call them formal or informal depending on whether they're in a good mood or not. But I'd met Wang hundreds of times in different settings. "I thought it was positive because we met. Was it warm? Absolutely. Wang and I get along very well. But China wanted to portray it differently." Why? "They wanted to send a message home that Australia was not going to get away with saying [China is] going to militarise the South China Sea." A Chinese H-6K bomber patrols the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Credit:Liu Rui
Australia had consistently voiced its concerns whenever China added more military assets to the islands it built in disputed waters, and when its long-range bombers touched down in the Spratly Islands for the first time on newly built runways alongside newly installed missile batteries. But President Xi Jinping had promised publicly from the steps of the White House that they would not militarise the islands and so the line had to be maintained. Wang told Bishop the facilities were strictly for self-defence, she says. "Against who?" she responded, in her telling. "Anyone who wants to attack us," came Wang's reply. "Who? Name them!" rejoined the disbelieving Australian minister. In the entire half-year span of China's displeasure, there was no evidence of any material damage to the annual $160 billion two-way trade relationship. The number of Chinese students enrolling at Australian institutions continues to boom. China's theatrics so far have been like the Chinese traditional lion dance - all dance, no lion. Former US ambassador to Australia John Berry is a fan of Julie Bishop. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Bishop refused to be intimidated. Her five years as foreign affairs minister was a time of rising belligerence by Russia and assertiveness by China, capped by an outbreak of populist disruption in the United States. The hallmark of Bishop's performance was that she was not frightened or fazed by any of it. Barack Obama's ambassador to Australia, John Berry, publicly held her up to be one of the world's best foreign affairs ministers. Privately he put her in the top 10. There was "none finer" he liked to say. Bishop has said that her proudest achievement was confronting Vladimir Putin after Russian-backed rebels in Ukraine shot down the civilian airliner MH17. Though Russia has never admitted responsibility, Bishop led the international response and managed to win safe access for Australia to the crash zone. The advent of Donald Trump sent many foreign capitals into despair and many countries recoiled. Turnbull and Bishop immediately set about dealing with the reality of the new US administration. Bishop has said that her proudest achievement was confronting Vladimir Putin. Credit:AP
"Trump respected Turnbull as a no-nonsense businessman," says Bishop. "We maintained the Obama agreement for the US to accept refugees from Nauru, we kept Australian steel and aluminium exempt from US tariffs, last year's Ausmin was stronger than ever, we even produce non-papers" for the US at Washington's request, she says. Non-papers? A non-paper is a government-produced document that has no official standing. At the request of Trump's first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, Bishop sent him a non-paper explaining the logic of changing the Asia-Pacific as a strategic operating concept to the Indo-Pacific. That is, a zone which doesn't end at the edges of the Pacific Ocean. The US has since followed Australia's lead on this. Being foreign affairs minister had been Bishop's dream from the moment she entered Parliament, but the reality, she says, was "far more exciting. I learned that Australia is so highly regarded, that our voice matters. We are a significant economy, we are a significant country and we should act like one. "That's why I never called Australia a 'middle power'. Middle of what? There are 200 nations in the world. Are we in the middle, number 100? We are a top 20 country." Bishop would have called Australia a top 10 nation for most of its attributes if it weren't for the fact that Australia's economy, ranking 13th biggest, doesn't quite make it. After unsuccessfully running for the leadership last week, Bishop decided to leave her dream job as foreign affairs minister. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
After unsuccessfully running for the leadership last week, Bishop decided to leave her dream job even though the new Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, was happy to keep her in it. She will say only that she is "considering my options" while remaining in Parliament for now. (Her local newspaper, the Cambridge Post, reported on Friday that she intends to contest the next election). Why? Her travel schedule was frenetic but at 62 years old she says she is still "raring to go", so it's not her energy levels. In winning just 11 votes in the ballot for the Liberal leadership we can assume she was left feeling overlooked, under-appreciated and dismayed at what she's since called the "treachery" of the other Liberal MPs from Western Australia, none of whom voted for her. Loading The Liberals can't be said to have entered into a popularity contest in their leadership contest. Bishop was - and remains - by far the most popular with the people among any of the federal Liberals, a status confirmed by an Essential Media poll last week. In a struggle dominated by factions rather than electability, Bishop ran third of the three contenders. Bishop doesn't say so, but people close to her say that she couldn't work in a Morrison cabinet and in a leadership group increasingly under the sway of the right-wing faction headed by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
Sniping at the Liberal Prime Minister will no doubt continue. The difference now will be that the sniping will come from the left or progressive side of the Liberal Party. The other difference is that Scott Morrison won't take any notice of it, unlike his predecessor, who made endless concessions to the far right.
The main policy discord will be over refugees and climate change.
You would have thought it would be a good time to end the indefinite imprisonment of these Australia's refugees, both practically and morally. On the practical side, Peter Dutton is no longer immigration minister. On the moral side, the new Prime Minister is a committed Pentecostal Christian.
Dutton said that a single act of compassion to anyone on Nauru or Manus Island would be a clarion call to people smugglers to resume their trade. He thought that using them as an example of what might happen to you if you tried to use a people smuggler to get to Australia was an effective deterrent.
For him a triumph, for the party elders (and the commentators) a complete humiliation. The Tory prime minister, whose view of Corbyn's political abilities and judgment matched that of his Labour enemies, was emboldened to call an election, one at which the early polls suggested that Labour, under Corbyn's leadership, would be lucky to get 20 per cent. Labour won about 40 per cent, the biggest percentage at a general election since 1945. It took three months to confirm Corbyn's leadership after the parliamentary party dumped him. Three months during which Labour opposition in parliament was in almost complete paralysis. The party rules would have been much the same had Corbyn been prime minister instead of opposition leader. The British Labour Party may have found a way to elect a leader who stands above factions and obligations to sectional interests. But it is yet to find a workable way of sacking one. When deposed, Kevin Rudd manoeuvered to give members greater say in deciding Labor's leader. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In Australia in 2010, Kevin Rudd had lost the caucus's support when he was deposed as prime minister. He felt, however, that he had somehow been cheated, because he had, in effect, been elected by the Australian people at the 2007 election. That is never strictly true of course. A party leader stands for a seat, like any other would-be member. It is not a presidential campaign. The party of government is the one that wins majority support in relation to supply. Rudd was often accused of disloyalty and treachery before he became leader, but was not much undermined by his own, either in opposition or government, until his failings were apparent to all, at least in Canberra. He had won leadership of the party by vote in caucus, not public acclamation, and lost it to Julia Gillard, because he lost the confidence of caucus. Perhaps she was ambitious for his office, but she had not undermined him. In due course, Rudd's campaign of leaking, undermining and sniping, along with Tony Abbott's very effective demolition campaign, and some woefully inept political management by some of the Labor geniuses, led many caucus members to panic about their chances under Gillard's leadership. Some polling suggested only 30 or 40 (of a house of 150) Labor MPs would still be in parliament after the next election. None of these polls suggested Labor could win if they returned to Rudd. But it appeared that Rudd could do a better job of "saving the furniture which is to say, lose by less. He delivered.
One of Rudd's legacies was to insist on a new method of electing leaders, somewhat on the British model, if still (in Rudd's model) allowing the caucus 50 per cent of the say. This should, he argued, produce greater stability. Voters despised both sides for the non-stop leadership musical chairs. Leaders, it was said, were making short-term decisions focused on next week's opinion polls. Rudd was arguing this again this week, when the man elected to be prime minister by the Australian people, Malcolm Turnbull, was sacked by the Liberal survivors of the last election. On the first test of the Rudd model with Labor, the man chosen by the party membership, Anthony Albanese, was far more popular than Bill Shorten. But Shorten (like Albanese, a factional chief) had countervailing numbers in the caucus, even the charm to seduce some members of the left to his side. His ambiguous position in his own party has helped undermine his legitimacy and authority. Julia Gillard was popular with party members but was leading Labor to a wipe-out. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But Shorten has not faced a challenge, and the party has been unusually united behind him, even as any number of members fret, privately, that he is hardly inspirational. The ubiquitous polls support this lack of enthusiasm; all things being equal, Labor looks set for a comfortable victory within eight months. But that is not because voters have embraced Shorten's Labor. Rather they have decided to throw the Coalition out, and are prepared to do so despite reservations about Shorten's character, visions and leadership. Those polls, incidentally, confirm that some of the non-stop attacks on Shorten by Coalition ministers, particularly new Prime Minister Scott Morrison, may have inflicted some scars, but not so much as to slow down his support. Amplification of the current line of attacks on Shorten will probably not reduce his support. Morrison needs to persuade voters to vote for the Coalition; he cannot win merely by scare stories about Labor. For one thing, his credibility is insufficient.
The tumults in Liberal leadership over the last decade may have been more about personality than ideology or policy, but the demise of successive leaders has always followed the emergence of evidence that the current leader was failing to lead, inspire or offer a sporting hope of winning at the next election. Brendan Nelson might have been a nice person, as some claimed, but he was a hopeless leader, even in cleaning up after John Howard had led the party to defeat. Nelson was torn down by Turnbull, a man some (not least himself) had thought destined to be a new Menzies. But Turnbull himself was failing in policy responses to the global financial crisis and over the Godwin Grech affair even before he collided with powerful conservative feeling against his climate change policy. This was, in part, because the party had, under Howard in the 1980s, purged much of the moderate and liberal ballast balancing conservative views under a once-broad Liberal umbrella. The Liberal caucus was pragmatic enough to vote for the person most likely to lead it to victory, but only a minority could stand him, personally or ideologically. Brendan Nelson was a 'nice bloke' but a hopeless political leader. Credit:Glen McCurtayne In his first coming, Turnbull responded with arrogance and aloofness, and failed to listen to advice. It's a paradox that his efforts to correct these problems handicapped him during his second coming. A new spirit of consultation and inclusiveness, and a willingness to give his conservative detractors an effective veto over policy, paralysed any chance to put his signature on events. As his party detractors insisted his big problem was that he was not conservative enough, the public decided he was not moderate enough, too wishy-washy and indecisive, and his most fatal of sins inauthentic. What was the point of having a leader who would not, or could not, lead, or be the person that an electorate, which had wanted him to succeed, had wanted and expected? Over the past 50 years, only Billy McMahon and Abbott could be said to have achieved so little in office. Turnbull's real legacy is not same-sex marriage but a very substandard national broadband network and a terrible failure to lead on climate change and water policy.
Turnbull himself had been savagely taken down by Abbott, and, once it was clear in due course that Abbott himself was a hopeless failure as leader of a government, if not an opposition, Turnbull acted brutally to depose Abbott. Abbott, like Rudd, complained that his mandate had come from the Australian people, not his caucus. Turnbull, like Gillard, was a usurper who deserved the sniping and undermining that he got. They encouraged the idea that each was snuffed out at just the moment when their projects were about to triumph, and at just the time when the sacrifices asked of voters, which had caused temporary unpopularity, were about to be rewarded. In both cases, that is nonsense. Abbott indeed was in full retreat from his initially brash (and ill-thought-out) ideas many a repudiation of the "mandate he had received. Leave aside the question of whether the problem he (or his predecessor, or his successor) represented could be resolved by a mere change of leadership, he has no reason to bemoan his fate, or his rejection by his own colleagues. I am no mere nostalgic for suggesting that men such as Gough Whitlam, Malcom Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and Howard were of higher calibre and had greater wisdom and political nous than any of the leaders of the present age. Each, in his own way, had a followership none of the present crop has managed. Yet the women and men in the present parliament are generally better educated, with more experience in policy formation and program management. They have far greater access to public resources in doing their job, in being able to find out what voters need, want or think. It's much easier to communicate with voters. So what is wrong? Some blame the way in which the numbers, democracy and influence of party members has dissolved and been replaced by top-end and unaccountable management by faceless apparatchiks, advertising men and lobbyists. Many blame the 24-hour news cycle, social media or the fact that an overwhelming proportion of parliamentarians are careerists and professional party operators, many never having worked elsewhere. And many blame the tyranny of opinion polls, and the preponderance of advocacy and agenda journalism, particularly from within News Corp.
The Coalition's internal climate war risks damaging the economy after Europe declared it would reject a $15 billion trade deal with Australia unless the Morrison government keeps its pledge to cut pollution under the Paris accord.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week reset his governments course on energy policy, declaring a focus on lowering electricity bills and increasing reliability, while relegating efforts to cut dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
He has reaffirmed his governments commitment to the Paris accord despite persistent calls by conservative Coalition MPs, led by Tony Abbott, to quit the agreement.
However there is deep uncertainty over how Australia will meet the Paris goal of reducing Australias carbon emissions by 26 per cent by 2030 given the government does not have a national strategy to meet the target.
The policy ructions did not go unnoticed at a meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade in Brussels, where the EUs chief negotiator on the deal, Helena Konig, faced angry questions from the floor over Australias commitment to climate action.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has no concerns about Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's interventions on behalf of foreign au pairs, dismissing the furore as Canberra mud-slinging and arguing there was nothing unusual about Mr Dutton saving the nannies from deportation.
The PM's defence of the man he beat in last week's leadership ballot came as Labor and the Greens notched up the pressure on Mr Dutton, accusing him of potentially misleading Parliament over his knowledge of the au pairs' employers.
Speaking from Indonesia, Mr Morrison said he had spoken to Mr Dutton multiple times and was satisfied the minister had acted within his powers.
"It wouldnt be unusual to do that": Scott Morrison defended Peter Dutton's au pair interventions. Credit:AAP
"No, is the short answer, in terms of having any direct concerns there," he said. "I made hundreds if not thousands of decisions as minister for immigration - it would not be unusual to do that. At the end of the day, the minister makes the decision."
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The shock at the top of the Australian government is almost physical when Liberals recount the trauma of their leadership spill, a moment in political history when a frenzied campaign split their party and toppled Malcolm Turnbull. A new Prime Minister now claims his team will go forward together after the bitter and bruising week, but Scott Morrison now leads a party that is riven by conflicts over what just happened. Every development is a matter of dispute. Few can agree on how their party gave in to what Turnbull called a form of madness a phrase that will stick. Loading The shock could be heard in the Liberal party room in the moment when Turnbull lost the vote on Friday, August 24, to declare his position vacant. The Liberal Party whip, Nola Marino, told MPs gathered in the party room that the motion to declare the leadership vacant had been carried. But how? A voice called out for the numbers. It was Victorian backbencher Russell Broadbent, insisting the room hear the count. I want the numbers, please, said Broadbent. Marino turned him down several times but Broadbent insisted and had vocal support from the room to get his way. It was 40 to 45. The Prime Minister had lost his job by less than a handful of votes and looked stricken. This is a farce, he said to those around him.
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What was meant to be a tour de force for Peter Dutton, the challenger who thought he had the numbers, turned into a coup de farce instead that installed Morrison as leader and shoved Dutton to the side. Some of the moments were so brutal they are burnt into the memories of all involved. Friendships have been fractured, hatreds inflamed and suspicions deepened among Liberals who are supposed to present a united face to Australian voters at an election due within nine months. How the government recovers depends on how it deals with this history. The party room had been put on alert for a spill one week before that final ballot. Dutton had spent the previous Friday refusing to comment on a report in The Daily Telegraph that claimed he was being urged to run for the leadership. This may be the biggest myth of all from the spill: the idea that Morrison can heal the wounds in time for the election. Text messages flew that Friday to try to settle things down. The Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, became the intermediary to help. Turnbull sent a message to Dutton to confront the obvious: at some point that day, the Prime Minister was certain to be asked whether he had Duttons support on leadership and energy policy. He put this to Dutton with a message about what he would say if asked. Yes mate, those words are fine, Dutton replied at about 11:30am. There was an assurance of loyalty, but it had only come after a delay and a negotiation of its terms.
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To his colleagues, Dutton appeared to enjoy being the subject of intense speculation about his leadership potential without his usual rivals, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Treasurer Scott Morrison, being named in the same story as alternatives. 2GB radio host Ray Hadley, who is close to Dutton, declared at lunchtime he was 100 per cent certain a leadership challenge would be launched within two weeks. It took until the next morning for Dutton to send out a tweet. Just to make very clear, the Prime Minister has my support and I support the policies of the government, he said. It offered no assurance about the future. Whatever the tweet said, Liberals knew the message that really mattered was in Duttons 24 hours of public silence. Peter Dutton on the backbench in Question Time. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer These events put the lie to the big myth around the challenge: that it somehow took its own organisers by surprise. Those who backed Dutton now object to being called plotters and deny they were up to anything before Turnbull took the biggest gamble of his political career: calling a surprise vote on his own leadership when Liberals assembled on Tuesday, August 21, for a regular meeting. The failure of the Dutton campaign has left its architects denying it was their own work. Asked on Tuesday about what happened the week before, Victorian Liberal Michael Sukkar told Sky News: All of us, including me, went into last week thinking it would be a perhaps lively but unexceptional week in Parliament, in all honesty. South Australian MP Tony Pasin, who also backed Dutton, told Sky News this week that he turned up expecting business as usual in Parliament on the day before the spill.
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It is an astonishing claim to expect an unexceptional week after days of coverage of the leadership question, not least a front page story in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age saying 'Dutton set to strike' because his supporters claimed to hold a majority in the party room. Yet this is the core argument now being made to excuse the shambolic coup: that the Dutton camp were not organising until Turnbull called the vote on the Tuesday. Theres a lot of rewriting of history going on, says one Liberal. Another is more blunt: Its complete bullshit. Says a third: The idea they hit Tuesday from a standing start is fanciful. Fairfax Media has checked with Liberal MPs who were sounded out by Dutton allies about support for their candidate on the Sunday and the Monday when Parliament resumed. The conversations among Liberals on the Monday of that week were all about when, not if, a challenge would come. One of those who was loyal to Turnbull was told on the Monday, through indirect sources, that Duttons supporters intended to keep quiet during the Tuesday meeting and launch a spill at the end of that day or on Thursday.
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The same names kept coming up as advocates for Dutton: Sukkar and Pasin along with senator Zed Seselja of the ACT, senator James McGrath from Queensland and Andrew Hastie of Western Australia. Turnbull certainly took his opponents by surprise by calling the vote on the Tuesday morning, but it is wrong to think he would have been safe if he had not done so. Both camps knew that any delay that week would mean a clash in the middle of September. The outcome on the Tuesday, with Turnbull gaining 48 votes and Dutton gaining 35, was so close that a second challenge was inevitable. You dont get 35 votes like that without coordination, one Liberal says. There was a group of people dedicated to bringing down Malcolm at any cost, no matter what the cost. Bombarded by questions from the press gallery, Malcolm Turnbull reveals he would resign from Parliament if he lost the Liberal leadership. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It is a measure of the failure of last week that so many excuses are now offered for the disruption, intimidation, incompetence and deception that took place. The Dutton team used the media relentlessly to exaggerate their numbers, throwing spotlights on their candidate to cast alarming shadows. The Turnbull team found itself chasing the shadows, almost believing the false numbers.
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A new front in the education wars is set to break out over whether schools should focus on skills such as problem solving over teaching facts and figures as the state government begins the biggest overhaul of the curriculum in a generation.
Advocates of so-called soft skills such as critical thinking argue they are more relevant in an age when facts can be easily found on the internet, but opponents say hard knowledge is an essential foundation of higher-order thinking.
The NSW curriculum review will look at how to prepare students for the workforce of the future. Credit:Jason South
A move towards soft skills in classrooms would have major implications for the Higher School Certificate and NAPLAN, as they assess facts, not general skills.
The NSW government will today release terms of reference for the first overhaul of the NSW curriculum in 30 years, which will be headed by Professor Geoff Masters, chief executive of the Australian Council for Educational Research.
The NSW government has guaranteed a private sector loan, potentially in the hundreds of millions, to the consortium building the delayed CBD light rail project in order to ensure its completion.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance confirmed private sector banks were lending interim funds to the ALTRAC Light Rail Partnership and the NSW government was "providing a guarantee on the drawn down portion of the loan".
"Not a government loan": NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance. Credit:AAP
"The NSW Government is not loaning the funds," Mr Constance told a budget estimates hearing on Friday. "This is a loan from the private sector and it will be paid back."
The minister was forced to reveal the existence of the guarantee after Labor claimed it had received department leaks that Mr Constance had written to Treasurer Dominic Perrottet "in recent months" requesting the government provide a $500 million "liquidity facility" to ALTRAC.
The state Opposition says voters can't trust an inquiry into Queensland's botched batch of new trains because it's headed by a man who ran as a Labor candidate for parliament almost 40 years ago.
Retired District Court judge Michael Forde stood unsuccessfully for the Labor Party in the seat of Lockyer at the 1980 state election.
Retired judge Michael Forde will head an inquiry into the Next Generation Rollingstock.
He is due to report back to the Labor government later this year about failings that landed the state with a new fleet of commuter trains that don't meet Australia's disability access requirements.
The Opposition has accused Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of deceiving voters by trying to hide the fact that Mr Forde was "a political appointment".
That year, The Age noted the figure only in passing, in the final line of a story about John Batman: The population is now considered to be over one million. The city of 1, 018,200 residents stretched only from Braybrook in the west to Broadmeadows and Preston in the north, and Mordialloc in the south, before the population petered out. Victorias bush towns back then were far stronger: 57 per cent of us lived in Melbourne, the rest in the regions. Today, almost 80 per cent of Victoria finds a home in Melbourne. Melbourne that year grew by 2 per cent or 20,000 people. Its what the 2018 budget predicts our growth will be this financial year; these days 2 per cent equates to 110,000 extra people.
The year Melbourne reached 1 million, as the Great Depression gripped the planet, the state's leaders launched the first strategy for how the city would grow. After World War One ended, after decades of ad hoc growth, it was time to stop winging it. The Metropolitan Town Planning Commission took seven years to produce the citys first strategic plan. Nearly a century later, a familiar refrain emerges from their 308-page Plan of General Development. There are few cities whose growth has been so rapid as that of Melbourne. There are few in which less constructive thought has been bestowed upon proper development, it said, before mapping out a land-use strategy integrating architecture, employment and parks for the city.
It also launched a tradition of gravely erroneous population forecasts. Within two decades, the report declared, Melbourne would more than double to a city of 2.2 million people. Flinders Street Station in 1929. Credit:Herbert Fishwick Two decades later, after a decade of depression and a world war, Melbourne was at just 1.2 million. Nothing much happened between 1930 and 1945, says Victoria University history lecturer Chris McConville. They generally say Australia came out of the Depression in 1933.
"But the effects of it in places like Richmond, Port Melbourne, all the inner city really, it lasted until the late 1930s. As well as mistaken population forecasts, the Plan of General Development started another great Melbourne planning tradition: after it was completed, the report was shelved indefinitely as growth screamed to a halt. Melbourne at 2 million: 1963 A sober editorial from The Age in 1963 marks a theme we all know even better today: infrastructure was not keeping up with a rapidly increasing population. Decorations on Bourke Street at Christmas 1963. Credit:Arthur De La Rue
The gross and unwieldly spread of Melbourne, with its inadequate services for a city that has the statistical claims of a metropolis was leading to a dysfunctional city, it said. By then, the city stretched north to Craigieburn and east to Lilydale. The Ages proposed solution to population growth and urban sprawl back then mirrors the approach from both major parties ahead of this Novembers state election: people should move to the bush. Melbourne would continue to be a magnet for Australians unable to resist the supposed thrills of the big smoke, the paper said, obliging the government to force development outside the city. The era marked the first time the city began to think of itself internationally, says Melbourne University urban planning professor David Nichols.
The Olympics and the visit of Queen Elizabeth in the 1950s, and The Beatles in 1964, marked important milestones in Melbournes increasingly confident growth into big city status. Supermarkets start to become a phenomenon, and things like Chadstone [shopping centre] they were still in their infancies, but Melburnians could see things happening, things changing, says Nichols. With Melbourne committed to an international airport at Tullamarine (it opened in 1970), citizens started to think we might be an international city after all. Melbourne in the 1960s, everyone who lived through it says the city was dank and conservative," says Nichols.
And yet: its growing into something thats not Adelaide, like a poor old country town. Its kind of the start of a cosmopolitan metropolis. The Queen at the Melbourne Cup in 1963. That modern-era growth also brought with it plans for a sprawling freeway network the legacy of which is still being felt half a century later as land put aside for roads is finally asphalted over. But while Melbourne reached two million in 1963, that wasn't all because of births and migration it was only in 1962 that Indigenous people started being included in official population counts. Melbourne at 3 million: 1988
Growth projections in the 1960s had the city hitting 5 million by the turn of the millennium. Instead, in 1988, Melbourne was only ticking over 3 million. While Melbournes steady growth, fuelled by migrants from Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia throughout the 1960s and 1970s helped the city find its place, it was still mostly sleepy and predictable. Everything shut down after eight at night in the CBD, and the city was still so Anglo-dominant, says planner Bernadette George, who moved to Melbourne from Queensland. She started her working life at Werribee Council even then one of the citys fastest growing areas the year after Melbourne passed its 3 million mark. There wasn't much of a crowd for the Australia Day march in 1988. Credit:John Woudstra
The year 1988 was also when the state's alcohol licensing laws were freed up after the influential Nieuwenhuysen review. It kickstarted the thousands of new bars and licensed venues that transformed the CBD's dim laneways into one of this city's most distinctive selling points, and shook off its wowser reputation. The inner city was radically transformed by the projects that began at this time: Melbourne Central; the transformation of Southbank from warehouses to shopping and apartment precincts; and eventually, the towers of Docklands. Planning regulations loosened up alongside the booze laws: more apartments were allowed, and saw the march towards what, today, has made skyscrapers in Melbourne commonplace. Bay 13 was the place to be during a one-day international in 1988 Credit:Ray Kennedy
Winsome McCaughey, Melbournes lord mayor in 1988, says the big driving issue then is precisely the same as now. What we urgently need is a comprehensive, integrated, state-of-the-art public transport network, she says, to deal with population growth. Weve got to contain the urban sprawl. Melbourne at 4 million: 2010 While the city limped to 3 million, the jump to the next million was a frenzy the likes of which Melbourne had not encountered before.
In 2002 Melbournes latest planning strategy, Melbourne 2030, had put a hard boundary around the city. Melburnians were meant to squeeze into a more compact city. The strategy was named for the year Melbournes population would reach 5 million. Forget it, said then premier John Brumby in June 2009, as he embraced pressure from the property industry and simply ripped up the city's boundaries. Facing the perfect storm of neglected transport infrastructure, international students coming in their tens of thousands, a baby boom and soaring property prices, Melbournes outer suburbs expanded in one dramatic splurge. Then-premier John Brumby in 2010. Credit:James Davies
Brumby released 43,000 hectares of paddocks to Melbournes north, west and south-east, for 600,000 new houses. They gave up on any attempt to regulate land markets and just handed it to developers to do what they liked, says planning expert Michael Buxton. Buxton worked on Melbourne 2030. It was, Buxton says, intended to dramatically shift that business as usual model of just converting empty land on the city fringe to housing. Developers instead would be forced to use land more efficiently. If Brumby had stuck to the original growth boundary, it would have worked, he says with anger. Its just that its a lot easier for governments to sit back and rezone land on the fringe. It delivers cheaper housing, says Buxton.
Melbourne at 5 million: 2018 It took Melbourne 175 years to grow into a city of 4 million. Our latest million comes just eight years after the last one. Before he wrote the textbook now studied by Victorias urban planning students, Stephen Rowley worked in the states planning department. Melbourne today. Credit:Grebb Briggs The early 2000s was, says the RMIT planning lecturer, a real wasted era, because the government didn't leverage political stability for big interventionist policies such as stopping sprawl.
They had enough wind at their back that they should have got more done. Instead, today Melbourne stretches from Pakenham to Wallan a drive of almost two hours at peak times. In 2016 and 2017, the population rocketed up by more than 125,000 people each year the biggest sustained surge the city has seen. Last year, among those who came to Melbourne were 85,000 overseas migrants. Land taxes and stamp duties mean that, in 2018, the Victorian treasury estimates $10 billion will flood into its coffers.
Geneva: The UN envoy for Syria has proposed civilians in the rebel-held region of Idlib, where sources say a battle is looming, be evacuated to government areas.
Staffan de Mistura expressed fears of a "perfect storm" that could have a devastating impact on nearly three million people - nearly half of whom fled to the area from other parts of the country. The reagion is largely controlled by al-Qaeda-linked fighters.
White Helmets civil defence workers and civilians inspecting damaged buildings after airstrikes hit the village of Zardana, Idlib province, in June. Credit:White Helmets/AP
It came as Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's strongest military backer, announced major military drills in the Mediterranean Sea amid growing tensions over the enclave.
"Short of going to Turkey, the civilians have no other option in order not to be where fighting may take place," De Mistura said.
Boston: A California man has been charged with threatening to kill employees of the Boston Globe newspaper in retaliation for its role in leading an editorial defence of press freedoms by hundreds of US news organisations against attacks by US President Donald Trump.
Federal prosecutors said Robert Chain, 68, called journalists "the enemy of the people" in threatening telephone calls that echoed the phrase Trump has used to criticise unflattering news coverage through his campaign and time in office.
FBI agents remove evidence from the home of Robert Chain in the Encino, Los Angeles, on Thursday. Credit:LA Daily News/AP
"In a time of increasing political polarisation, and amid the increasing incidence of mass shootings, members of the public must police their own political rhetoric. Or we will," Andrew Lelling, the US attorney for Massachusetts and a Trump appointee, said in a statement on the arrest.
About two dozen federal agents in tactical gear and an armoured vehicle arrived at Chain's stucco single-storey home in Los Angeles' Encino section just before 6am. Neighbours said they heard small explosions, like the bursting of flash-bang grenades, before Chain was led from his house dressed only in a pair of shorts.
Washington: President Donald Trump's disapproval rating has hit a high point of 60 per cent, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll that also finds that clear majorities of Americans support the special counsel's Russia investigation and say the President should not fire Attorney-General Jeff Sessions.
At the start of the September campaign sprint to the midterm elections, which will determine whether Democrats retake control of Congress, the poll finds a majority of the public has turned against Trump and is on guard against his efforts to influence the Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller's wide-ranging probe.
Nearly half of Americans, 49 per cent, say Congress should begin impeachment proceedings that could lead to Trump being removed from office, while 46 per cent say Congress should not.
And a narrow majority - 53 per cent - say they think Trump has tried to interfere with Mueller's investigation in a way that amounts to obstruction of justice; 35 per cent say they do not think the President has tried to interfere.
Sao Paulo: A damning image was whipping around WhatsApp in Brazil: a photo of a black luxury jet labelled "the plane of Lula's son" and "paid with Brazilians' money" - seeming proof of high living by the family of jailed former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is leading polls ahead of October's presidential elections.
The image was shared so often that fact-checking websites and a new project known as Comprova set out to investigate - and quickly debunked it (it had already been debunked by boatos.org, a hoax-checking website, in 2013). Comprova traced the jet's ownership all the way back to its date of manufacture. It was always US-owned and had never belonged to anyone in Lula's family.
Demonstrators hold banners depicting local politicians during a rally against local government officials and in support of Brazil's former president Lula, now jailed. Credit:Bloomberg
Fact-checking efforts have become increasingly common around the world due to concerns about the power of social media to spread disinformation and influence elections.
What's unusual about the effort by Comprova and other projects ahead of Brazil's October presidential election is the focus on messages spread via WhatsApp. It's especially difficult to police the messaging app because users exchange information directly in an encrypted format, unlike more public platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, which have struggled with how to balance freedom of speech against preventing abuse.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotary Clubs have been visible on St. Martin for more than 20 years. On July 30, 2018, history was made as the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset was officially formed. Although the club was unofficial, the members had been volunteering their time and talents since May 2018. The club carried out various projects such as collecting clothing items for fire victims and a roadside cleanup. Former members of both the Rotaract and the Rotary Clubs on Dutch and French St. Martin formed the club with a mission to strive to provide diverse professionals an opportunity to give back to their community. The aim of the members is to selflessly influence lives by embodying peace, community service projects, youth development, networking, and fellowship.
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the worlds most pressing humanitarian challenges on a local, regional, and international level. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas.
As a part of District 7020, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset is one of a unique stance, as it is home to some of the youngest members locally and regionally. The club has approximately 35 members and comprises of various professions such as entrepreneurs, bankers, educators, public relation officers, Members of Parliament, and Ministers. The professional aim of the club is to continue attracting diverse professionals and professions to ensure the development of diversity continues amongst the club.
The board, for the Rotary year 2018-2019, comprises of the following persons: Jaida Nisbett, Charter President; Ruminni Rogers, Vice President & Youth Services Director; Elisia Lake, Secretary; Magdiona Gumbs, Treasurer; Tyrone Yates, Assistant Treasurer & Disaster Relief Director; Norissa Anatol, Sergeant of Arms; Michelette Boasman, Rotary Foundation Director; Shemaiah Fleming, Club Administration Director; Kimberley Duzong, Service Projects Director; Micheline Warner, Membership Director, and Roylyka Roache, Public Relations Director.
The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset would like to invite all prospective members to attend the meetings, which are held every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at Carl and Sons Conference Room in Colebay from 7:30pm. Members and visitors are encouraged to adhere to the business dress code. For more information, persons can email the club at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Facebook page at Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee will meet in a session on Friday, August 31, 2018.
The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for 10:00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs and the Minister of Justice will be present.
The agenda point is:
Border Control in St. Maarten (IS/667/2017-2018 dated June 11,
2018)
(This meeting was requested by MP F.G. Richardson, MP R.
Brison, MP C.T. Emmanuel, MP E.J. Doran, MP S.E. Jacobs)
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.
The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.com and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Drawing support from the international community, the Department of The Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Drs. Ms. Loekie Morales (BAK) and Ms. Marcellia Henry (MECYS-UNESCO representative), forming the SDGs Think-&-Do Tank (T&DT), have invited officials of the University of St. Martin to initiate a partnership in promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda in St. Maarten.
One of the main lessons learnt from the Millennium Development Goals Agenda is, that Governments need to partner with NGOs, the Private sector, Academia and Civil society in their countries, to determine the development areas and to use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in mainstreaming and implementing those in our policy and development plans.
Since 2017, Morales has been coordinating the SDGs Think-&-Do Tank, a space to explore possible collaborative ventures related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by engaging government, civil society and the private sector.
On August 21st, USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona and Dean of Academics Dr. Rolinda Carter met with Henry and Morales to brainstorm about projects that would promote the 17 goals for global sustainable living identified by the UN, among them: no poverty, quality education, good health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, decent work and economic growth, and responsible consumption and production.
Carmona and Carter, who both recently took on their administrative positions at USM, understand that when it comes to sustainable development, St. Maartens main institute of higher education must be on board. When it comes to the education, USM provides the country with most of its teachers. If St. Maarten wants to raise awareness about sustainable development in this sector, it has to be through the university, says Carmona. Many of our BA and MA students are already working at the schools.
USM is also looking to expand its academic programmes by linking up with other universities internationally. Carmona is hoping to start a BSc. programme in Sustainable Development and Agroecology in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico, Wageningen University in the Netherlands and FAMU in the United States. This initiative tackles mainly SDGs 1, 2 (No Poverty and Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being, because of for food safety), SDG 8 (Decent work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production and SDG 15 (life on land). By opening new programmes in the areas of science, health, technological innovation, having quality (higher) education becomes -once again- an essential development goal that links all others together.
Together with the Think-&-Do Tank, USM will partner with other organisations in order to propose research and media projects that will influence much of the population in terms of thinking about the environment and social equality, especially the youth. By targeting schools and having our youth express themselves through audiovisual work we believe we can make a difference, said Henry.
Coming up, USM will be preparing a monthly seminar series for the 2018-2019 academic year, dedicated to topics that might generate new academic programmes in the context of the United Nations SDGs 2030 Agenda.
St. Maartens Department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) is the designated focal point for the Sustainable Development Goals on St. Maarten.
Ms. Drs. L. Morales, program manager at BAK can be contacted to be part of the SDGs process. You can reach her via government email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or per telephone number +1721-5271223.
Public welcomed to join future study classes
PHILIPSBURG:---St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation volunteers are now better equipped to carry out their roles in assisting persons in community according to the foundations principles, thanks to a two-month basic education training program that they successfully completed recently.
Tzu Chi Founder Master Cheng Yen sent a special team of three Commissioners to St. Maarten in May to assist local volunteers with their post-Irma relief efforts as well as to conduct the training. The facilitators were David Hsu, Mei-Hsiang Chuang and Chun-Niang Yu.
The 18 volunteers, who completed the Tzu Chi basic training program, graduated during a celebration held at Pink Pearl Restaurant recently. During the graduation Hsu presented each volunteer with their certification and a token of appreciation. Receiving certificates were Saskia Amatdawoed, Egidio Lusia, Rosealie Aldueza Realon, Mary Jane Sanchez, Ingemar Arndell, Ingrid Arndell, Antonette Clarke, Eveline Paul Garard, Eldica Richardson, Angela Heyliger, Fuhong Yu, Marie Simon, Mo Sing Chu, Xiao Qiong Liang, Roger Yee Fong, Guifen Lu, Xiaya Mo and Regina Janga.
During the ceremony, volunteers delivered sign language performances. One of the performances entitled Three Nos teaches that there is no one in the world whom cannot be loved, trusted and forgiven. Another sign language performance entitled One Family, teaches that the world is one big family and that those who are blessed should reach out to the less fortunate and assist them.
The training program was held once weekly from June 10 to July 29. The program, which is designed for global Tzu Chi volunteers, normally runs for a year. However, due to limited time the three mentors, who travelled to St. Maarten to facilitate the course, managed to complete the program in two months with the group of motivated and dedicated St. Maarten volunteers.
Local volunteers learnt of the hard work and challenges the foundation faced in its initial years and the strength and determination of the founder, who persevered to grow and develop one of the largest benevolent organizations in the world today.
The very intensive, educational and spiritual training, focused on the history of Tzu Chi. Master Cheng Yen began her journey with 30 housewives in her native Taiwan, who each put aside US $0.02 cents from their daily grocery money to help others. This is how the Buddhist Compassion and relief foundation was formed. The foundations first mission was charity and engaging in charitable acts. After Master Cheng Yen observed persons suffering from illnesses stemming from poverty, a second mission was added to the cause: medicine.
Master Cheng Yen faced 12 years of challenges before she was able to establish the foundations first hospital in 1984. At the time doctors and nurses were not willing to work at the facility, which was located in the poor countryside of Hualien, Taiwan. This led to the formation of the foundations third mission, education; followed the fourth mission, humanity; the fifth, environmental protection; sixth, bone marrow transplant; seventh, international relief and eight, community volunteers.
Despite graduating, volunteers continued study classes on their own, with the first post-graduation one being held on August 19, on the topic: serving as benefactors in each others lives. The classes focused on how benefactors can turn the lives of others around. We must become each others benefactors. When we help others, we become their benefactors. When they assist us, they become our benefactors; we must work together harmoniously as a team becoming each others benefactors. People like this are the most fortunate people in life, Tzu Chi Foundation said in a press release.
Tzu Chi said in its press release that volunteers follow Master Cheng Yens teachings with love, compassion, joy and unselfish giving. They strive for the realization of a pure, undefiled land of Tzu Chi through charity for the needy, giving of joy and elimination of suffering. We rely on wisdom of reason and feasibility of execution. Above all, we invite all people with goodwill to cultivate a field of blessings and bring about a society of love.
Persons interested in joining the foundation as volunteers are welcomed to attend the study classes, which are held every other Sunday from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The next study class will be held on Sunday, September 2, at Tzu Chi Foundation, located on L.B. Scott Road next to the ballfield. For more information call tel. 586-3019.
DOCOMO selects IOTW to develop Micro-Mining for 5G Open Partner Program
AnApp Blockchain Technologies Ltd ( AnApp ), the IoT blockchain developer behind IOTW, a new cryptocurrency for IoT applications, is one of the blockchain technology companies selected by NTT DOCOMO, Japan\-\-s largest mobile communications company, to develop IOTW Micro-Mining for its \-\-5G Open Partner Program\-\-.
AnApp is taking an innovative approach, putting IOTW\-\-s PoA (Proof of Assignment) and Micro-mining algorithms into IoT devices without adding hardware cost. It opens the door for new industries beyond telecommunications that are looking to revolutionize with DOCOMO products through IOTW\-\-s innovative technologies, such as cell phone, IoT devices, high definition video, Apps etc.
The next-generation communication system, 5G, is expected to promote the IoT society, where all devices are connected to the Internet, with features such as high speed, large capacity, low latency and many terminals.
Frederick Leung, Founder and CEO of AnApp, said, \We are very pleased to be selected as one of the blockchain partners in the DOCOMO 5G Open Partner Program. By participating in this program, IOTW will contribute its innovative technologies to spread IoT devices solutions for Japanese society, as well as promote the development of services using 5G provided by DOCOMO.
\We are very certain that our cooperation can potentially impact everyone\-\-s daily life. End users can benefit from it, accelerating the sales of IoT devices by DOCOMO. Leveraging IOTW\-\-s core team, with more than 30 years experience in computer hardware and software, our innovative PoA and Micro-mining algorithms will enable DOCOMO to collect big data, and end users will fully benefit from Micro-mining.\
About AnApp Blockchain Technologies Ltd
AnApp is developing the IOTW blockchain software which can run on different IoT devices. The micro-mining software can be embedded into IoT chipsets and also downloaded into existing IoT devices through firmware updates. Visit IOTW.IO.
NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO, Japan\-\-s leading mobile operator with over 76 million subscriptions, is one of the world\-\-s foremost contributors to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Under a medium-term plan toward 2020 and beyond, DOCOMO is pioneering a leading-edge 5G network to facilitate innovative services that will amaze and inspire customers beyond their expectations. DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (9437). Visit docomo.co.jp.
SOURCE: AnApp Blockchain Technologies Limited
NASA's twin Viking landers touched down on Mars in 1976 to hunt for signs of life on the Red Planet. Forty years later, scientists are still arguing about what the landers' observations mean.
In 1976, NASA's twin Viking landers touched down on Mars in an attempt to answer a weighty question: Is there life on the Red Planet?
Gilbert Levin was the principal investigator of the Vikings' Labeled Release (LR) life-detection experiment. The instrument got positive responses at both landing locales. However, scientists did not reach a consensus on whether his results were proof of life.
In 1997, Levin concluded that the experiment had, indeed, detected life on Mars and he has championed that viewpoint ever since. [The Search for Life on Mars: A Photo Timeline]
Call for follow-up
Now, more than four decades after the Viking landings and with a lot more information about Mars in hand Levin believes that NASA hasn't properly followed up on the Viking landers' results.
Gilbert Levin, Mars maverick. (Image credit: Gilbert Levin)
"I am certain that NASA knows there is life on Mars," he said this past July on David Livingston's popular online program "The Space Show."
Levin called for a re-examination of Viking LR data by an objective panel. But there's more.
Over the past 40 years, a succession of orbiters, landers and rovers has gathered evidence that life exists on Mars today, Levin said.
There is "substantial and circumstantial evidence for extant microbial life on Mars," he said on "The Space Show."
Methane spikes
As an example, Levin noted that NASA's Curiosity rover has found cyclical and seasonal spikes in Mars methane. More than 90 percent of the methane in Earth's atmosphere is generated by microbes and other organisms.
"This is really hard to ignore as evidence for life," Levin said.
However, water-rock chemistry can also produce methane, so it's not persuasive evidence of life, Curiosity mission team members and other scientists have said.
NASA's Curiosity rover used an instrument called SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars ) to detect seasonal changes in atmospheric methane in Gale Crater. The methane signal has been observed for nearly three Martian years (nearly six Earth years), peaking each summer. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Curiosity has also discovered organic molecules in 3-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks near the surface. Organics are the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it. But again, they're not convincing evidence of life by themselves; naturally occurring organics have also been spotted on asteroids, for example.
Water, water and more water
Then there's the July 2018 news from the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission: The orbiter apparently spotted an underground lake beneath a mile of ice near the Red Planet's south pole.
Various spacecraft have found evidence of water on Mars over the years, Levin said, and now "we are deluged with an underground lake so water is no longer the problem."
Levin also pointed to Curiosity imagery that can be interpreted as depicting fossilized stromatolites, structures that are built by colonial microbes here on Earth. There are intriguing similarities between ancient sedimentary rocks on Mars and structures shaped by microbes on Earth, he said.
Everything that we have learned about environmental conditions on Mars, Levin said, would permit terrestrial microorganisms to survive and that includes the harsh radiation, the low pressure and the frigid temperatures.
As for present-day life on the Red Planet, "it's getting to the point where the shoe is on the other foot," Levin said. "It's very hard to image a sterile Mars." [Ancient Mars Could Have Supported Life (Photos)]
More knowledge
Viking veteran Ben Clark, now a senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said "it's about time to start earnestly searching for signs of [Mars] life again."
Clark developed a Viking-carried instrument that measured the composition of Martian soils.
"From what we have learned since Viking about the past history of Mars, it was even more eminently suited for the origin of life than we knew when the search began," Clark said. "A Viking lesson learned is that you had better understand the environment well before designing tests for biological activity."
Astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a professor at the Technical University Berliny, also said the Viking life-detection experiments were conducted before scientists really understood the Red Planet.
"Life is intrinsically linked to its environment," Schulze-Makuch told Space.com. Not having that information in hand, we cannot home in on optimal search and life-detection strategies, and "that, of course, also applies to the icy moons," he added, referring to ocean-harboring worlds such as the Jupiter moon Europa and the Saturn satellite Enceladus.
"If it would have been known at the time of the Viking mission about Mars what is known today, they probably would have come up with the conclusion that microbial life likely exists on Mars," Schulze-Makuch said.
"I think the consensus is shifting more into the direction that the extraordinary claim would be that 'Mars is and was always lifeless,'" he added, referring to astronomer Carl Sagan's famous saying that "extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence."
Nevertheless, Schulze-Makuch said that any declaration of life on Mars still requires overwhelming evidence before being scientifically saluted. "Just think about how long it took before it was accepted that there was and still is liquid water on Mars!" he said.
The biological package carried by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 landers to search for evidence of life. (Image credit: NASA)
Better-informed instruments
John Rummel is familiar with Levin's steadfast life-on-Mars position.
"The Mars science community would have benefited greatly if Gil Levin had aspired to a leadership position in science after the Viking lander missions had completed their life-detection experiments," said Rummel, who twice served as NASA's planetary protection officer and is a former chair on planetary protection for the agency's Committee on Space Research.
New missions with better-informed instruments looking for life were possible then, Rummel said, but they needed a strong advocate who had the sort of data that Levin possessed.
"Fundamentally, there is nothing new about Mars that wasn't possible with Viking, but it is a long way from Chryse or Utopia [the two Viking landing spots on Mars in 1976] to the sub-polar-cap lake now claimed by the Italians," Rummel, who's now based at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, told Space.com. "If Levin had stayed fully engaged, we might have already tried to go there."
Beyond the science debate
Astrobiologist Chris McKay, of NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, is a longtime Mars investigator.
The science community is in general agreement, McKay said, that the Viking LR experiment did not detect life. The reactions noted by that instrument and the other results from Viking can be explained by reactive chemicals called perchlorates, he said.
Perchlorates were first detected in Martian soil by NASA's Phoenix lander in 2008, nearth the Red Planet's north pole. Further observations by other spacecraft strongly suggest that perchlorates are widespread throughout Mars.
That perchlorate explanation, however, is tentative, McKay said. "We cannot rule out that Gil Levin is correct and that there are dormant life-forms in the Martian soil," he said.
If so, that finding has implications beyond the science debated. "Are we confident enough that the Martian soil is lifeless to send astronauts and then to bring those astronauts back to Earth? I say no," McKay said. "It seems to me that the standard of proof must be higher for these activities, and we have not reached that standard yet."
But McKay thinks Levin is right in continuing to insist that the possibility of life be considered.
"Life may not be the scientifically preferred explanation, but it cannot yet be disproven," McKay concluded.
Leonard David is author of "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet," published by National Geographic. The book is a companion to the National Geographic Channel series "Mars." A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. This version of the story published on Space.com.
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. Sending humans back to the moon won't require a big Apollo-style budget boost, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.
During the height of the Apollo program in the mid-1960s, NASA gobbled up about 4.5 percent of the federal budget. This massive influx of resources helped the space agency make good on President John F. Kennedy's famous 1961 promise to get astronauts to the moon, and safely home to Earth again, before the end of the decade.
NASA's budget share now hovers around just 0.5 percent. But something in that range should be enough to mount crewed lunar missions in the next 10 years or so, as President Donald Trump has instructed NASA to do with his Space Policy Directive 1, Bridenstine told reporters yesterday (Aug. 30) here at NASA's Ames Research Center. [In Photos: President Trump Aims for the Moon with Space Policy Directive 1]
The key lies in not going it alone and continuing to get relatively modest but important financial bumps, he added. (Congress allocated over $20.7 billion to NASA in the 2018 omnibus spending bill about $1.1 billion more than the agency got in the previous year's omnibus bill.)
"We now have more space agencies on the surface of the planet than we've ever had before. And even countries that don't have a space agency they have space activities, and they want to partner with us on our return to the moon," Bridenstine said in response to a question from Space.com.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (left) gets a tour of the Arc Jet Complex at NASA's Ames Research Center in California on Aug. 30, 2018. (Image credit: Mike Wall/Space.com)
"And, at the same time, we have a robust commercial marketplace of people that can provide us access that historically didn't exist," the NASA chief added. "So, between our international and commercial partners and our increased budget, I think we're going to be in good shape to accomplish the objectives of Space Policy Directive 1."
Those objectives call for a sustainable human return to the moon, rather than the transient, flags-and-footprints approach of Apollo. Establishing a permanent presence on and around the moon is an aim in itself, but it will also teach NASA and its partners the technologies and skills required to push out even farther into the solar system, to Mars and beyond, Bridenstine and other agency officials have said.
For example, water ice mined from permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles could be split into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen prime components of rocket fuel. This propellant could then be hauled up to off-Earth depots, which could fill the tanks of spaceships bound for Mars or other distant destinations. This strategy could spur a new era of exploration, freeing humanity from the need to launch huge amounts of fuel out of Earth's substantial gravity well, space-mining advocates have stressed.
The centerpiece of NASA's crewed moon plans, at least in the short term, is the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. This small, moon-orbiting space station will be assembled and visited with the aid of NASA's Space Launch System megarocket and Orion capsule, both of which are in development.
The Gateway will house up to four astronauts for a month or two at a time and serve as a hub for robotic and crewed exploration of the lunar surface, NASA officials have said. [Moon Base Visions: How to Build a Lunar Colony (Photos)]
The first element of the Gateway its power and propulsion module is scheduled to launch in 2022. Other key pieces will be lofted shortly thereafter. If all goes according to plan, astronauts could visit the outpost as early as 2024 and start making trips to the lunar surface a few years later, before the end of the 2020s, NASA officials have said.
That will be a milestone when it happens; no boots have pressed into the gray lunar dirt since the Apollo 17 astronauts departed for Earth back in 1972.
The Gateway will be compatible with a variety of vehicles, to encourage the cooperation that NASA officials deem so crucial.
"We want to have strong partnerships, not just commercially but internationally, so that we can do more than we've ever done before and build this sustainable architecture that is our direction under Space Policy Directive 1," Bridenstine said.
Indeed, NASA is encouraging the progress of private landers, such as those in development by the American companies Blue Origin, Moon Express and Astrobotic. The agency plans to buy some rides down to the lunar surface aboard such commercial craft, rather than have to build or purchase every moon lander itself.
Eventually, commercial vehicles may even ferry NASA astronauts not just robotic payloads from the Gateway to the moon's surface and back, Bridenstine said.
This approach is in keeping with the agency's recent push to commercialize low Earth orbit. SpaceX and Northrop Grumman already launch uncrewed cargo missions to the International Space Station for NASA, and SpaceX and Boeing both hold multibillion-dollar deals to ferry agency astronauts to and from the orbiting lab. The first crewed flights of these private astronaut taxis are scheduled to take place next year.
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The general election on Sept. 9 could rewrite Sweden's political rule book.
That's because of the rise of the Sweden Democrats, a nationalist party that has its roots in the country's white supremacy movement. Despite being ostracized by the mainstream parties, the group's message of stopping immigration has resonated with voters after a record inflow of foreigners over the past few years.
Polls show that the party will need to be catered to by whatever minority coalition attempts to form a government after the election. If it becomes the biggest among all parties, as some polls suggest, then Sweden will find itself in a totally new situation.
The most obvious outcome is some form of minority government led by the Social Democrats or the conservative Moderates. But such a government would have "a weak and uncertain mandate, which will have trouble implementing the necessary structural reforms and, in the event of an economic downturn, pursuing effective stabilization policies," Svenska Handelsbanken AB said.
Unlike in other European countries, governments in Sweden don't necessarily need an absolute majority in parliament to be in power. In fact, minority governments are quite common in Scandinavia. Whoever will be nominated as prime minister can still be confirmed by parliament as long as a majority of lawmakers doesn't vote against them.
Sweden's electoral system is based on proportional representation, adjusted to favor bigger parties. Parties must overcome a certain threshold (4 percent of the national vote or 12 percent of the votes cast in a single constituency) to enter the 349-member parliament.
Given the uncertainties, here's a guide to the possible government configurations that might assume office after the vote:
- - -
Lofven II
Outgoing Social Democrat Prime Minister Stefan Lofven heads a minority center-left government together with the Greens, backed by the Left Party. Although the Social Democrats are still topping the polls, both government parties have lost support since the 2014 election, reducing the likelihood that they might win another mandate.
Should they nevertheless manage to form a government, expect a third attempt from the Social Democrats to introduce a tax on banks' operations, as well as higher capital taxes for the richest Swedes. The Social Democrats have also vowed to raise spending on welfare and lower taxes on pensions.
- - -
Alliance Cabinet
Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson is the candidate for prime minister for the Alliance, the center-right party bloc currently in opposition, and may have the best chance of forming the next government. But the Alliance parties, which plan to form a minority government, can do so only if the Sweden Democrats don't vote against them.
Should Kristersson and the Alliance succeed, income taxes will be lowered, spending on defense and police will be raised considerably, and they will aim to bring Sweden even closer to NATO.
- - -
Moderates Cabinet
The Alliance has been under some pressure due to contrasting views on the Sweden Democrats, with the Liberals and the Center Party not wanting to form a government if it is the smaller bloc and would have to rely on the external support of the Sweden Democrats. Depending on the election results, Kristersson may therefore attempt to go it alone. For this scenario to work, he would need to rely on the external support of the nationalists.
A Moderates-led government would be stricter on crime and immigration than an Alliance government. The party has also promised cuts in social benefits in order to make working more attractive.
- - -
Social Democrats-Led Cabinet
If forming a minority government proves too difficult, Lofven might attempt to cobble together a broad coalition. The most likely candidates to join such a configuration are the Green Party, the Center Party and the Liberals, perhaps also supported by the Left Party.
Such a configuration would most likely be less strict on immigration and spend more on measures to protect the environment. On the fiscal front, it would have to find a way of reconciling the center-right's aim of lowering income tax and the left's view that taxes on capital should be raised.
- - -
Grand Coalition
One of the least likely scenarios would see the two biggest mainstream parties get together in a German-style grand coalition. Both Lofven and Kristersson have publicly ruled out this option, but electoral arithmetic may eventually force them to think again.
In this case, expect a tightening of immigration policies and more spending on the police, defense and welfare.
The ever-rising death toll from the synthetic opioid fentanyl showed graphically this week how vulnerable the United States has become to powerful drugs concocted in laboratories.
On the same day that more than two dozen people were raced from a New Haven, Connecticut, park to emergency rooms after violent reactions to synthetic marijuana, federal authorities announced that more than 72,000 people had died of drug overdoses nationwide in 2017. Leading the death toll is the increasing number of fatalities from fentanyl.
"It is the 2.0 of drugs right now, the synthetics," said Tom Synan, the police chief in Newtown, Ohio.
In an unusual episode involving a batch of synthetic drugs, more than a dozen people fell ill in less than an hour in New Haven's central park on Wednesday. People lay unconscious. Others convulsed and vomited. First responders could barely keep up, sprinting from person to person; a news conference with the police chief was interrupted by word of another victim and medics rushing to administer treatment. All of those who took the drug survived, and authorities announced an arrest in connection with the incident.
The culprit was synthetic marijuana, a potent drug that has hospitalized hundreds of people in 10 states in recent months. Unlike previous overdose clusters around the country, "there is no indication of the presence of fentanyl" in samples of the synthetic marijuana being analyzed by the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Uri Shafir, acting assistant special agent in charge of the DEA's New Haven office. Early media reports had indicated the synthetic marijuana was laced with fentanyl.
Illicit fentanyl continues to do far more damage on the streets than other drugs. About 50 times more powerful than heroin, it is cheap and easy to make. It is being cut into heroin, cocaine and other drugs and is often pressed into pill form, tricking users who covet prescription medications. According to one medical specialist in Baltimore, users aware of the combination of drugs they can receive in a single purchase are calling the mixture "scramble."
More than 72,000 people died of drug overdoses last year, according to preliminary 2017 figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is a 9.5 percent increase from 2016, a rise driven largely by deaths from fentanyl and carfentanil, an even stronger opioid typically used as a large-animal tranquilizer.
Just a few grams of either can kill a person. In Cincinnati, 174 users overdosed in six days in 2016 after taking heroin cut with carfentanil.
For years, much of the focus has been on curbing the supply of illicit opioid painkillers from doctors and pharmacies to people who abuse the drugs. Now, there is some evidence that battle may be succeeding. The CDC data shows that deaths involving hydrocodone and oxycodone appear to have flattened out, offering possible hope that painkiller deaths might have peaked.
On Thursday, the Justice Department and the DEA announced a proposal to further curtail the manufacturing of six powerful prescription painkillers, reducing production quotas by an average of 10 percent in 2019. President Donald Trump also asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to bring a federal lawsuit against opioid suppliers. The federal government already has filed a statement of interest in a mammoth federal lawsuit involving cities, counties, Native American tribes and unions who have sued companies up and down the opioid supply chain.
But authorities and others who work with those who are addicted say that prescription pills are no longer the most urgent threat.
"Seventy-five percent of the deaths we get are fentanyl related," said Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County, New Jersey, prosecutor. "It's the heroin laced with synthetic opioids that we're getting creamed with."
Andrey Ostrovsky, president and chief executive of the Concerted Care Group in Maryland, a chain of three outpatient treatment centers, said positive tests for fentanyl among opioid users during the past three months were in the 30 to 40 percent range. The organization sees about 1,300 people each day.
Much of the nation's supply of fentanyl is coming in large quantities from Mexico, where it is made by cartels, and from China, where it is made in clandestine labs and purchased on the dark web.
State and federal authorities are cracking down on the drug, with prosecutors more aggressively using laws that hold drug dealers criminally liable for overdose deaths. Sessions has targeted 10 areas of the country to bring charges against anyone dealing fentanyl, regardless of the quantity. The Justice Department has tripled fentanyl prosecutions across the country, seized thousands of kilograms of heroin and fentanyl and brought the first cases charging Chinese nationals with selling large quantities of the drug to Americans.
Trump on Thursday asked Sessions to look into opioids coming from China and Mexico, saying those countries were "sending their garbage and killing our people."
But some on the ground said the help is not coming quickly enough.
"I think people aren't willing to take the tough actions needed to deal with the immediacy of the synthetics. . . . The emergency is stopping the synthetics," Synan said. He lamented the role of politics in drug policy, which he said has limited progress regardless of which party has been in power.
Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and a drug policy expert at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said the United States is poorly positioned to have an impact in China's illicit supply of fentanyl because of the ongoing feud over tariffs between the Trump administration and Beijing.
"They could help us, but they're not going to," said Humphreys, who spent a year in the Obama administration's Office of National Drug Control Policy. The way to enlist the Chinese is "carefully, respectfully, and not on the front page or on Twitter."
The overdoses in New Haven illustrate other difficulties for authorities: There are numerous synthetic drugs available; amateur chemists often simply tweak chemical compositions to skirt laws and make the drugs available to the public.
Federal officials last month issued a warning about the spread of synthetic marijuana, known as K2, across the country. In recent months, K2 has caused hundreds of people in about 10 states to be hospitalized, sometimes with severe bleeding. Several people have died because of complications. The danger lies in the drug's unpredictability and its tendency to be cut with potent opioids or an anticoagulant used in rat poison.
"Drug dealers are putting [fentanyl] on the street because obviously it's more powerful, people get addicted, they make more money," Synan said. "But on the other end, more people overdose, more people die and it takes a larger response from authorities."
W hether you're in need of a decent night's sleep, a libido boost or a mood enhancer, then Glow Bar, a new wellness space which has just opened its doors on London's Mortimer Street, has a potion or powder for you.
The cafe-come-spa-come-herbal-shop sells everything from shelfie-worthy jars of adaptogenic herbs to rose quartz face rollers and moon milks.
The most hyped offering at the new venue, though, is its infrared sauna pods. You can book a 45-minute session for 40, with the promise of glowing skin, better sleep and an endorphin rush similar to that of a runner's high so, naturally, we went along to try it out.
But first I sat down with founder Sasha Sabapathy (and her dog, Milly) to hear about the inspiration behind the concept.
Sasha Sabapathy (Courtesy of Glow Bar, photograph by LiaVittone) / Courtesy of Glow Bar (photograph to Lia Vittone)
First off, it has to be said, Malaysian-born digital planner-turned-wellness guru Sabapathy is a very convincing advert for her products. Glossy haired, with luminous skin and brilliant white teeth, you can rest assured you will want some of what shes having.
She told the Standard that she got into regularly taking adaptogens and having infrared body wraps while living in the states after suffering from burnout.
"I'd gone through a period of working really, really hard, partying every night, while also simultaneously doing my masters, and I just crashed. I realised I had to build myself back up from the inside out," Sabapathy said. "And I did that through ayurvedic herbs and Chinese medicine."
Sabapathy set up Glow Bar after burning out (Courtesy of Glow Bar (photograph to Lia Vittone) / Courtesy of Glow Bar (photograph to Lia Vittone)
Adaptogenic healing powers
"Ashwaghanda is where it all started for me, it was the first herb I started taking," she said, adding that people take it to help deal with anxiety as it is thought to help calm the nervous system and reset cortisol (the stress hormone) levels.
Having felt improvements with her own anxiety through taking adaptogenic supplements and having moved back to London, Sabapathy began to explore creating her own range of products.
To do so, she says she spoke to around 200 women to find out how they felt and what they would invest in to improve their day-to-day lives. Overwhelmingly, she said, it was stress that was causing most of the problems for these women, "and that's also what caused me to have a breakdown," she said.
"All of my friends thought [adaptogens] were really wacky, and didn't want to be taking loads of pills so I decided to package them in a way that was relatable and therefore covetable," she said.
"I was thinking about the 'shelfie' trend", she went on. "If I can change someones tea cabinet into something thats 'shelfie-worthy' with my products I'd be so happy because that's when you're treating your inside the same way you treat the outside."
Glow Bar launched six adaptogen supplement powders in February, including three elixir blends that she concocted led by her research. They're aimed at doing everything from boosting your libido to fighting inflammation and easing anxiety.
The seventh, and most recent product to launch, is Pearl which, she explained, is a jar of nano-sized pearl particles that are supposed to help naturally boost your collagen production.
"As we get older we start losing collagen. Everyone always associates collagen with beauty but it's also essential to have good joint health," she says.
The Glow Bar cafe selling superfood bowls and elixir lattes (Photograph by LiaVittone, interiors by Maker Studio) / Photograph by Lia Vittone, interiors by Maker Studio
Sabapathy says she also saw a gap in the market for a "fun and contemporary place" where women could go to focus on self-care from the inside out, which wasn't a fitness studio or hair salon, and where they wouldn't feel obliged to drink alcohol.
A quick stroll through the pastel-hued shop and you'll quickly see that she has nailed Glow Bar's branding. The stripped back wooden floor, sky light decorated with abundant hanging plants and delicate jars of herbal powders and crystals perfectly arranged on brass shelves are all highly 'grammable.
It all makes for a rather charming place to grab a moon milk or cardamom and rose latte.
The infrared sauna
Sweat it out in the infrared sauna (Courtesy of Glow Bar, photo by LiaVittone) / Courtesy of Glow Bar, photo by Lia Vittone
Down a flight of stairs sits Glow Bar's main attraction: the infrared sauna pods.
Sabapathy said that going for regular saunas and infrared wraps was the other crucial aspect of her own rebuilding process. "They're such an essential part of a wellness routine," she said.
"My skin cleared up after three sessions and I was glowing. I felt so good I was obsessed. I'd take sweat selfies in my bikini instead of gym selfies.
And what are the benefits of sweating it out in these extended sauna sessions?
An after glow, huge endorphin rush, improved sleep, circulation and immune function are but a few, according to Sabapathy. They can even help with water retention, she says.
Before our 45-minute infrared sauna (Rosie Fitzmaurice)
Our ES verdict
Of the full 45 minute session, my friend and I managed to stay in the pod for around 35 minutes. We caught up while listening to tunes through our phones on the built in speakers it was a nice opportunity to sit and chat without a glass of wine in hand.
We both sweated a lot. I'd advise taking in extra water as we'd already downed the two complimentary jugs provided in the first 10 minutes.
I came out of the pod with a similar kind of high that I'd get from, say, a bikram yoga class. I felt detoxed and energised.
The Glow Bar barista whizzed us up a couple of rainbow lattes and off we went to navigate the tube, with a little spring in our step.
I slept like a baby for the next two nights which was blissful having got into an unsettled sleeping pattern since the heatwave.
The experience was luxurious from start to finish. The changing rooms are particularly fancy, equipped with plush white robes, giant rain showers, and quality organic products.
For me, a sauna session in one of these pods would have to be a treat, but one that I'd definitely like to do again, perhaps the day before a special occasion.
I left Glow Bar determined to introduce a few more moments of self-care into my pre-and post-work routines, and that's exactly the point, according to Sabapathy, who says that through her brand she wants to encourage women to get into the habit of taking more time for themselves.
"If the first thing you do in the morning is take a piece of rose quartz crystal out of the fridge and do some face rolling (to de-puff and drain lymphatic glands), you'll feel like an absolute queen! I really feel like it's the small moments in life that build up and make your day feel great," she said.
W hitbread shares rocketed on Friday as investors lined up for a windfall from the shock 3.9 billion sale of coffee chain Costa to US drinks giant Coca-Cola.
The UK consumer giant, which also owns hotel chain Premier Inn, stunned the City by offloading Costa to Coke. Shares surged 16% today to the highest level in three years with Costas price tag 1 billion more than expected.
Whitbread will hand back most of the money to investors, with analysts expecting between 2.5 billion and 3 billion to be returned.
The rest will pay down the pension scheme deficit and cut debt.
Whitbread chief executive Alison Brittain said: Its an all round fantastic deal for all stakeholders.
The FTSE 100 giant unveiled plans to spin-off the chain in April after coming under pressure from activist shareholders Elliott and Sachem Head.
Costa had originally been valued at 2.9 billion and was due to be demerged into a standalone group by the middle of 2020.
Costa is unlikely to attract another bidder after Whitbread ruled out selling the firm to private equity groups.
We have been very clear we were not interested in a sale other than to someone who had a strategic rationale and therefore would be able to create signficantly more value than Costa on its own, said Brittain, who added Elliott had no role in the sale.
For New York-listed Coca-Cola the takeover gives the company an instant number two position behind Starbucks in the lucrative global coffee market.
It plans to further build out the Costa franchise, which has a presence in 30 countries globally, in places like China. Brittain said Coke had run the rule over Costa before the demerger plans were announced after Whitbread took sole control of a franchise in China. When we bought out China last year that made them sit up and take notice, she said.
Rothschild advised Coca-Cola while Goldman Sachs Anthony Gutman led the advice for Whitbread.
The price tag is around 16.4 times Costas earnings for 2018, higher than the 14.4 times value rival Starbucks trades at. Theyve done very well (on the price). Clearly Cokes a strategic buyer and will have grand plans for it, said one top 20 shareholder.
Shares rose 636p to 4656p.
F ittingly, the excellent Costa deal all started over a latte in Seattle, home of the daddy of the coffee bar chains, Starbucks.
Coke boss James Quincey had been looking at the coffee market for a long while, and at Costa in particular (note to the Whitbread activists at Elliott long before you came along).
In May, he was ready to phone his pal Whitbread chairman Adam Crozier, to talk about a deal. Crozier said his chief executive Alison Brittain was in Seattle at a Microsoft conference. Me too! said Quincey. They met for coffee and the ball got rolling.
Serendipity runs throughout this deal. Coke wanted a deal to launch into coffee in a global, big-brand way.
Whitbread was open to talk and its international push was gathering steam. Costas high-quality vending machine technology will also be easily scalable alongside the US Cokes 10 million drinks machines.
Plus, its brand and sourcing power gives Coke the power to develop bottled iced coffees to rival Starbucks.
Whitbread shareholders now get instant cash from their coffee business at a price way above what a demerged Costa would have traded at, and beyond anything the private equity firms whove been sniffing around would pay.
Standalone Costa was to be valued at 10 times its annual profit. Coke is paying 16.4 times. Oh, and by the way, Pret A Manger just got sold for 15 times.
Now, shareholders will get perhaps 2.9 billion in cash proceeds. Whats more, the pension deficit and debt pile get big slugs of cash, leaving Premier Inn freer to expand its promising German operations.
T he survival of DIY chain Homebase was hanging in the balance on Friday as disgruntled landlords voted on a rescue plan and warned they are getting fed up with shop closures.
Creditors were deciding whether to approve proposals to shut 42 Homebase branches and get rent reductions at 70 sites. If the restructure fails to win backing the retailer is likely to collapse into administration with 11,000 job losses.
Homebase landlords did not say how they would vote but property sources indicated it was likely to be approved.
However, a number voiced concerns about a rising number of tenants using a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) a move which allows distressed businesses to trim property costs.
British Lands Darren Richards said they typically support a CVA when its being used for its intended purpose. rather than to walk away from legal obligations.
David Wise, property investment director at fund manager Kames Capital, said: We recognise there are problems in the retail sector, but also think the CVA process is frankly being abused by some to duck commitments that they freely entered into.
Mark Williams, of shopping centres organisation Revo, said: CVAs were originally meant as a last resort, however the process is open to potentially being abused as a legal loophole solely to reduce rental liabilities.
If the CVA is approved, some landlords could legally challenge it. M&G and Aberdeen Asset Management are understood to be mulling legal action.
Private equity firm Hilco bought Homebase for 1 in June from Australian group Wesfarmers. Wesfarmers had struggled to grow Homebase, which it bought in 2016.
G lobal stock markets shuddered to the elephantine trend of Donald Trump again on Friday as fears over an imminent escalation in the trade ruckus between the US and China saw equities suffer.
The US President, who could start a trade war in an empty room, has already been shooting from the lip this week with a threat to pull out of the World Trade Organisation. Sad! Now hes rumoured to be slapping China with tariffs on $200 billion in goods as early as next week, which prompted jittery investors to lighten the load.
Despite Coca-Colas eye-catching 3.9 billion swoop for Whitbreads Costa Coffee, pushing the Premier Inn owner up 16%, or 636p, to 4656p, the wider FTSE 100 dropped 22.34 points to 7493.69 and across Europe major indices were down by up to 1%.
With currency crises intensifying in Argentina and Turkey there was little to draw investors into the fray in the dying embers of August. Im having my quietest day of the year so far, said one trader. That the Swiss franc, that traditional bolthole in times of uncertainty, is the best-performing major currency of the week says it all.
Whitbreads sale of Costa, pushed for by activists Sachem Head and Elliott, had AJ Bells Russ Mould wondering where else the rebels might head for value. His two tips, struggling property firm Intu and B&Q owner Kingfisher, gained ground, adding 2.25p to 158.5p and 0.6p to 275.1p.
The big deal aside, corporate news was light. The drugs didnt work for AstraZeneca, which shed 49p to 5861p after disappointing trial results for its new treatment for lupus, an inflammatory disease.
Among the smaller caps Carpetright also took a beating (sorry), dropping 1.6p to 24.1p, more than 6%. Carpetright, which salvaged its finances with a 60 million fundraising in June, couldnt have been helped by gloomy figures from the Nationwide, which showed the biggest monthly drop in house prices since 2012 during August.
Among the housebuilders, Barratt Developments eased 1.6p to 543.6p, Persimmon dropped 20p to 2448p and Bovis Homes shed 4.5p to 1131p.
W hat is going on between Britain and France? The answer is that the old battle between friendly neighbours and fierce enemies is being played out. The enemy part led the news this week, with an Anglo-French fracas over scallop harvesting in the English Channel . However, the underlying need to find friendship or if not that, at least a way of working together may win out. There are reports that President Macron is willing to seek an honourable way out of the Brexit nightmare for Britain.
Of the two, the scallop war is the more dashing. French fishermen vented their anger at their British counterparts with heated naval gesticulation in the Baie de la Seine in Normandy. While the French are forbidden by law to fish scallops (they take eating them seriously) from May 15 to October 1, British fishermen are not, and therefore, according to the French, spend the year pillaging the English Channels scallop stocks.
French fishermen have asked for years that their neighbours face the same rules. The Normans also point out that British trawlers are twice as big (at roughly 30m) as their vessels, which still use artisan fishing techniques.
A no-deal Brexit would in fact be very good for Normandy fishermen. As the Normandy fishing chief, Dimitri Rogoff, says: After March 29, 2019, British fishermen will be treated as a third party and would no longer have access to these areas. Problem solved. Unless President Macron instead throws Theresa May a lifeline on Brexit.
For what may be in the short-term interests of the fishermen of Normandy may not prove to be beneficial for the European Union in the long run. It is true that, at times, it must be tempting for many of the 27 European countries to see Britain crash out of the EU without a deal, and drift into oblivion.
Agnes Catherine Poirier / Andrew Crowley
The British governments red lines have made it almost impossible to agree on a deal that would respect the European Unions core principles of free movement of goods, capital, services and persons. And dont even mention the thorny question of the Irish border. As a result, European goodwill towards Britain has worn thin in the past two years.
And yet, many Europeans cant help loving the Brits and Britain, like a dear old pain. As importantly, Emmanuel Macron, being both an idealist and a pragmatist, does not want to see Britain fall into Brexit despair, and for its people to feel disenchanted and embrace regressive politics as a result. It wouldnt be good for anyone in Europe.
So, does President Macron have a plan? A diplomatic source quoted this week suggests he does though the evidence, so far, is sketchy. Is it what Michel Barnier hinted at when he talked this week of preparing to offer Britain a partnership such as there never has been with any third country, or is that just a rephrasing of the existing EU position? Still, Barniers words had an instant oh la la effect on the markets: sterling hit its highest levels for weeks.
What is this about? Macrons love for Europe and his wish for greater integration is no secret. For him, and many Europeans of his generation, the idea of a United States of Europe is almost a given. It will happen at some time in the future (they hope), both out of necessity and idealism. But how do we get there in this age of rising nationalism and where exactly does Brexit fit into this wonderful scheme?
Macrons plan is not new and it is based on what has been called concentric circles or multi-speed Europe. I prefer to see it as the different levels of a loyalty membership programme. First, you get a get a frequent-traveller card on the Eurostar the Classique, then an Avantage card. After that, you progress to Carte Blanche the rail services platinum card. The more you contribute and prove your loyalty to Europe, the more rewards you will get, but you may also opt to use it only occasionally with fewer benefits attached.
"European social democrats at large need Britain with them in the fight against the rise of populism in Europe"
Youre still a member of the Club except not a premium one.
It is of course a challenge to put such idea into a detailed and workable proposal, and one that respects the EUs integrity, but this may prove a lifeline for the UK government, and save the Anglo-Continental relationship.
For this to work, Mr Macron needs to convince a core of European countries including Germany. In the current worlds pernicious political climate, he may actually get the full attention of European democracies. French and European social democrats at large need Britain with them in the fight against the rise of populism in Europe and Mr Macron knows it.
This week, we were faced with Italys Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini, acting as the countrys homme fort, organising official meetings in his fiefdom of Milan with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, without consulting Rome. Salvini, the kinglet of Padania (the name given for northern Italy by his party, Lega Nord, attempting to breathe life into their old dream of an independent north) even went as far as targeting Mr Macron as the populists common enemy in Europe.
From Denmark where he was on a state visit, Macron replied without blinking: If they see in me their opponent number one, they are right. I wont give an inch to nationalists and hate-baiters.
A quick glance at Transport for Londons (TfL) Underground map and you can see the dramatic difference between the network north and south of the river.
In the north the underground network stretches as far as zones 8 or 9 while the most southern Tube stop is Morden on the Northern line, in Zone 4. With more than 10 million people set to be living in London by 2030, many of whom will be finding homes in new-opportunity areas such as Elephant and Castle, we need to ensure our transport infrastructure is ready.
Now is the time to push for change. At Southwark council we have joined forces with Lewisham to back the Mayors commitment to extending the Bakerloo line to support existing and future communities and businesses by dramatically improving transport links. The extension will also provide thousands of new homes in Southwark and Lewisham, including affordable homes.
The current estimated cost of the Bakerloo line extension is 3.1 billion. Regional benefits would include increased connections from other routes and reducing the need to interchange from the Overground (East London line) to central London at New Cross Gate.
Growth in London and the South-East is putting pressure on existing rail services into London and existing projects will not fully meet demand.
Im backing the Bakerloo because the extension will make a huge difference to people living and working in Old Kent Road, as well as bringing wider benefits to London.
There will be a new town centre along one of Londons most famous thoroughfares the Old Kent Road and the extension is key to delivering more affordable homes, jobs and services to this part of London and opening up opportunities for people across the city.
Transport for London has set out plans to extend the Tube line from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham via Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate. A further extension of the Bakerloo line beyond Lewisham has also been proposed, which could potentially bring the tube to Ladywell, Catford and Lower Sydenham.
TfL has carried out a number of consultations on the Bakerloo line extension and thousands of people have responded, overwhelmingly in support.
Southwark and Lewisham Councils are working with the Mayor and TfL to build a strong case for the Bakerloo line extension. If central government approves plans for the extension and the funding needed is secured, construction could begin in 2023.
A fter a tough scramble up a steep forest path, we emerge out of the tree line into rolling green meadows carpeted in buttercups and cornflowers the colour of the sky. A ring of hazy cloud hovers like a halo above a distant snow-capped summit. These gently undulating hills characterise much of the little-known Sibillini mountains in central Italy.
Straddling the provinces of Le Marche and Umbria, the Sibillini National Parks 70,000 square miles of sunlit hillsides are interspersed with 20 snow-capped peaks over 2,000m a serious challenge for any keen hiker. And unlike large swathes of the Italian Alps or the Dolomites, it is almost entirely devoid of tourists. Sadly, that lack of tourists may in part be down to extensive damage caused by an earthquake that struck the region in 2016.
The walled-town of Norcia, just 4km from the quakes epicentre, is where we start our hike. On our first morning, after cramming our rucksacks with Norcias speciality wild-boar salami, we wander into the towns main square.
The statue of Saint Benedict at its centre still stands, but a former bell tower has been reduced to jagged stone teeth wrapped in scaffolding. Only the front facade of a once-intricate stone basilica remains.
Despite these scenes of devastation, people are sitting out on the square sipping rose, and the town still buzzes with locals and Italian tourists.
Its just 20 minutes on foot from Norcia to reach the Sibillini National Park. The trails are empty of other walkers and largely unsigned, though with a good map easy to follow (download trails from parks.it). We stop to fill up our water bottles from a snow-melt stream, which is rushing, clear as gin, straight off the mountainside. Later, we crest a ridge to find a herd of wild ponies.
As idyllic as hiking here is, its not all scampering about in the daisies. One day we set out to walk a teetering ridge, crossing several peaks. Not long in, we find ourselves scrambling into the snow line and forced to skirt a hefty area of snow by ascending a near-vertical slope on our hands and knees. Back on the ridge path there are precipitous drops on either side.
Umbria, Perugia district / Alamy Stock Photo
We return seven hours later to Norcia starving but satisfied, to defrost our fingers over plates of wild boar ragu.
Later, we head to the medieval town of Castelluccio perched at 1,525m on a hill overlooking the Piano Grande (big plain). Between June and late July it is blanketed in wild poppy fields.
Castelluccio looks like a warzone, the town roped off and its occupants evacuated. We find a building site and several cheery food stalls full of treats such as black truffle and cured hams. We eat focaccia with freshly sliced pecorino at a wooden picnic table.
At 2pm the builders amble off to the towns one restaurant. Because in Sibillini, life just carries on.
Details: Italy
Ryanair flies direct from Stansted to Perugia from 107 return.
T his is the first picture of a teenager who was found dead in the loft of a north London home.
The body of Abdi Ali, of Ostell Crescent, lay undiscovered in a flat in Enfield for eight months.
The teen was believed to have been killed on December 21 last year at the top-floor flat on Hartmoor Mews.
A post-mortem examination took place on Friday and police have confirmed the cause of death was a blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the chest.
Two people, a 36-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman have been charged with Mr Alis murder.
Stacey Docharty and Gary Hopkins both appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Thursday and have been remanded in custody ahead of further court appearances
Docharty and Hopkins, both of Hartmoor Mews, were also accused of perverting the course of justice by hiding a body for eight months and lying to investigating officers, according to the charges.
The pair face a third allegation of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body.
Police said Mr Ali was reported missing to police on New Years Eve last year and the last time he was seen was two weeks earlier, on December 11, at home after a family wedding.
Although his disappearance was investigated, the young man was not found by police until Monday, August 27, after officers acted on a tip-off they received.
Marie Mauceri, 59, of Hartmoor Mews, said there had been a heavy police presence on her road following the discovery.
A n Islamic State terrorist has been jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years for a plot to bomb the gates of Downing Street and kill the Prime Minister.
Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 21, planned to blow apart the gates of 10 Downing Street, kill guards and then attack Theresa May with a knife or gun.
Jailing him, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said: "Rahman is a very dangerous individual and it is difficult to predict when, if ever, he will become de-radicalised and no longer be a danger to society."
He pledged allegiance to IS and collected what he thought was an explosives-packed jacket and rucksack when he was arrested last November.
The drifter, originally from Birmingham, thought he was being helped by an IS handler when in fact he was talking to undercover officers.
Jailed for life: Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 21 / PA
He was snared by a network of undercover counter-terrorism officers from the Metropolitan Police, the FBI and MI5.
Following an Old Bailey trial, Rahman, from Finchley, north London, was found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism in Britain.
Midway through the trial, he admitted helping a friend to join IS in Libya by recording an IS sponsorship video.
The trial had heard how Rahman was encouraged by an uncle who travelled to Syria to fight and was killed in a drone strike last June.
Two other uncles had been jailed in August 2016 for funding terrorism.
PA
His concerned mother had moved to north London to get away from their influence, and Rahman was referred to the de-radicalisation Channel programme.
But Rahman spun a web of lies to Channel and went on to plot his attack over the course of two years.
Rahman came to the attention of police in July last year when he complained he was being blackmailed, but failed to attend an appointment.
In August last year he was arrested on suspicion of sending indecent images to under-age girls, but never charged.
An examination of his mobile phone raised concerns he was harbouring extremist views.
After his uncle's death, he became even more determined and turned to the internet for help in his attack plans.
Rahman made contact with an FBI agent posing as an IS official online, who introduced him to an MI5 role-player.
The defendant revealed his plans, saying: "I want to do a suicide bomb on Parliament. I want to attempt to kill Theresa May.
"There are lorries here with big gas tankers, if a brother can drive it next to Parliament I will bomb."
He later described using a suicide belt, a drone, an IED and poison, referred to as "P" or "curry mix".
By early November last year, he appeared settled on an attack on 10 Downing street with a suicide bomb, gun or knife.
Terror plot: Naa'imur Rahman / PA
He told an undercover officer: "(God willing) will be very big if I'm successful. I can't mess up. I can't get (martyrdom) if I get caught."
On November 18 last year, Rahman carried out reconnaissance around Whitehall.
Two days later, he bought a rucksack from Argos before meeting an undercover officer in Brixton for it to be fitted with explosives.
On November 28 last year, the officer handed back Rahman's rucksack and coat, now packed with dummy explosives, and replica pepper spray.
Rahman told the officer he was "good to go" but was arrested as he walked away carrying the fake bomb, in Kensington.
Rahman claimed he had been set up by security services online, but a jury rejected his explanation and convicted him after 13 hours of deliberations.
He faces the prospect of life behind bars when he is sentenced by Mr Justice Haddon-Cave at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Following Rahman's conviction, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, from Scotland Yard, said: "His intention was to go to the gates of Number 10.
T he father of a woman killed in a speedboat crash on the Thames has hit out at her killer for launching an appeal while on the run from police.
Jack Shepherd has been in hiding since he was found guilty of the manslaughter by gross negligence of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown who was killed after he took her on a date on his speedboat.
Shepherd, 30, who is being hunted by police, skipped his July trial at the Old Bailey and was sentenced to six years in prison in his absence.
Ms Brown's father blasted his daughter's killer following the news on Thursday that Shepherd's lawyers had lodged an appeal against his conviction while he is still on the run.
Tragic death: Charlotte Brown was killed in the crash / PA
Graham Brown, 52, said Shepherd's move "mocked" justice but he was "confident" that he would face it soon.
Mr Graham, of Sidcup, Kent, told the Sun newspaper: "He's mocking justice and clearly thinks he has nothing to lose. People will rightly ask why a convicted criminal's rights should outweigh Charlotte's.
Jack Shepherd's speedboat is dragged out of the Thames / Alex Lentati
"Shepherd hasn't done a day of his sentence, but he's apparently been able to put together an appeal while on the run. It's a great unfairness but I'm confident he'll face justice soon."
At his sentencing, Shepherds lawyer, Stephen Vullo QC said that his client could not "face the Brown family" and his decision not to appear was made out of cowardice, the Guardian reported.
Shepherd, a wed designer from Paddington in London, reportedly married a childhood friend shortly after the crash but the relationship has since broken down.
A young man is fighting for life in hospital after being attacked in an unprovoked assault as he walked home in the street in central London.
Scotland Yard today released a shocking image of the 23-year-old lying critically ill in his hospital bed following the assault.
The man, who lives in Westminster, had been walking home in the early morning after a night out when he was approached at random and struck by a lone attacker.
Police also issued a CCTV image of the hooded assailant in an effort to identify him.
People are being urged to contact police if they recognise the man seen on CCTV
Officers were called at around 5:20am on Sunday, August 19 to a man found unconscious in Bulstrode Street, Marylebone.
The victim was taken to a central London hospital where he remains in a critical but stable condition. His family have been informed.
The victim has been identified as a 23-year-old who resides in Westminster
Detective Chief Inspector Christina Jessah, from Westminster CID, said: This was a completely unprovoked assault on a young man walking home after a night out. The level of injury caused will have a significant impact on the victim and his family.
I would urge anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV still to do the right thing and call us
There have been no arrests.
A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a mother and daughter.
The man was on arrested on Thursday evening after Raneem Oudeh, 22, and her mother Khaola Saleem, 49, were stabbed to death earlier this week.
West Midlands Police said he was detained in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham.
Ms Oudeh's ex-partner Janbaz Tarin had been named as a suspect in the investigation.
Murder probe: Khaola Saleem, 49, who was stabbed to death along with her daughter / PA
The pair were stabbed at Ms Saleem's home in Northdown Road, Solihull, just after 12.30am on Bank Holiday Monday.
Following the incident, police and Crimestoppers had offered a 5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of shop worker Tarin.
Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield, who is leading the investigation, said: "I would like to thank the community for their support over the last few days, the response to our appeals has been excellent and tonight resulted in this arrest."
Police said the victims' family had been updated on the development.
Police incident: Forensic officers outside a property on Northdown Road in Solihull / PA
The arrest is reported to have taken place on Ivor Road, with unverified video posted on social media appearing to show a man in a red jacket surrounded by officers.
Three addresses were previously raided by police, including one in Sparkhill.
Computer equipment and mobile phones were seized and a van was undergoing forensic examination.
Police also previously said the suspected murder weapon had been recovered.
Ms Oudeh had a two-year-old child though Tarin is not the father and her mother had six children, with both victims originally from Syria.
A teenager has been extradited from Spain and charged with murder after a young father was stabbed to death in Islington.
Jack Stevens, 19, was extradited on Thursday night and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on Monday.
Stevens was initially arrested by the National Crime Agency, which was using a European Arrest Warrant, in Spain on July 9.
Nashon Esbrand had only just become a father / family of Nashon Esbrand
Nashon Esbrand, 27, was stabbed to death in Canonbury on August 24 last year. He had only become a dad for the first time nine days earlier.
Three males were convicted of Mr Esbrands murder earlier this year.
His brother, Mark Barton, told the Standard: "The impact is still going on in the family.
"Nashon's daughter had her first birthday party last week, and he wasn't there to see it. It was sad to see.
Dillon Zambon was one of three males convicted of Nashon Esbrand's murder / Met Police
"We went to lay flowers on the first anniversary of his death last week. We're trying our best, but it's affecting each one of us in different ways."
Jhon Berhane was one of three males convicted of Nashon Esbrand's murder / Met Police
A 16-year-old boy admitted carrying out the fatal blows before an Old Bailey trial started in March. Two young men 20-year-old Dillon Zambon and 18-year-old Jhon Berhane were convicted of murder by a jury following a trial.
H ero cop Wayne Marques has returned to work one year after terrorists stabbed him in the head during the London Bridge attack.
Pictured suited and booted on his first day back, PC Marques joked that he was looking forward to getting the tea rounds in.
PC Marques was temporarily blinded in one eye and suffered several major stab wounds, when he fought off the terrorists. He was armed only with his baton.
In a fight he believes lasted up to 90 seconds, he was stabbed several times with hunting knives but did not realise the severity of his injuries because of the adrenaline.
PC Wayne Marques has returned to work / British Transport Police
He was honoured with a Pride of Britain award along with PC Charlie Guenigault, who was also injured during the attack.
London Bridge attack: two of the terrorists shot dead by police / EPA
The British Transport Police officer said on Friday: Since last June I have been in and out of intensive rehabilitation programmes, which at times has been incredibly tough both physically and mentally.
Coming back to work has always been a goal of mine and I have been determined to reach this stage, returning to a sense of normality and routine.
Hero cop opens up one year after being stabbed in the head in London Bridge attack
PC Marques is not performing any frontline uniformed duties yet. But he said he was determined to reach that stage.
PC Marques, 38, fought with the attackers for 90 seconds / PA
He continued: It feels surreal walking back through the doors but I am thrilled to get back to what I love doing.
I know there is still a long road ahead of me before I can put the operational uniform back on, but with time I hope I can reach that stage.
British Transport Police's Wayne Marques was stabbed in the head / PA
Of course, I wouldnt be here without the overwhelming help and support of my friends, family and my colleagues at British Transport Police.
Theyve been there when things got tough and I would like to thank them for this. I certainly need to catch up on the amount of tea rounds I have missed!
Emergency services tending to the wounded after the London Bridge attack / PA
Hundreds of messages of support flooded in for PC Marques when British Transport Police announced his return on Friday.
One police officer wrote online: There can't be many better examples of selfless public service than the actions of this Officer, taking on 3 knife men with a baton. What a shining beacon of bravery.
Another post read: Should be Knighted and given keys to our city. Thank you SIR Wayne on behalf of everyone in the UK and those who visit.
And another tweeted: This is a guy who obviously loves his job and put his life on the balance when confronting those terrorists and now having the strength and mentality to go back doing his job is very brave, knowing that he could face it again one day. Hes a hero and hope he got a medal for it.
PC Marquess boss, Ch Con Paul Crowther, said: Wayne is a credit to the Force and he undoubtedly exemplifies the very best in British policing.
Of course, while we are all proud of Waynes achievements, we must not forget about those who died and who lost loved ones during this atrocity.
Our thoughts will always remain with those who died during the attack at London Bridge and Borough Market.
Speaking towards the end of his rehabilitation in June, Pc Marques said he had hoped to return to work in July.
"Im doing well," he said.
"The intention is for me to come back to work in July. Which is good because I do know the longer you are out, the harder it can be to get back in.
"And its a job that I enjoy. Its who I am, to be honest.
Now saying that and then convincing Ma and Pops and my partner that its the right thing to do is a completely different ball game.
At the time of the attack, he said: "I ran but felt something go into my side. I was stabbed three times in the back and one punctured my lung. I fell and waited for them to finish me off but for some reason they stopped."
Terrorists Youssef Zaghba 22, Khuram Butt, 27 and Rachid Redouane, 30, killed eight people and injured nearly 50 more on the night of 3 June last year.
A radical Jewish anti-Zionist group whose members believe conspiracy theories about Israel controlling the world will protest the meeting at which Labour is expected to sign up in full to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.
The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) are organising a demonstration outside Labours Victoria headquarters next Tuesday to prevent the National Executive Committee (NEC) from changing course. They insist that members should vote on the decision, while Camden Momentum claims accepting the IHRA definition would return the party to the Right.
The presence of IJAN, considered madcap by mainstream Jewish Labour members, could be inflammatory. The groups 2008 founding charter says Israel continues a long history of Zionist collusion with repressive and violent regimes, from Nazi Germany to the South African Apartheid regime to reactionary dictatorships across Latin America. Labours leadership had this month been distancing itself from historical association with IJAN.
John McDonnell, shadow chancellor, had signed an Early Day Motion praising IJANs foundation charter in 2008. But a Labour spokesperson has since said McDonnell didnt and doesnt endorse all of the language and views expressed in their charter. Similarly, Jeremy Corbyn, who was present at a Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2010 at which one of the groups members, the late Hajo Meyer, compared Israels actions in Gaza to the Nazis in Germany said earlier this month views were expressed at the meeting which I do not accept or condone.
IJAN describes itself as an international network of Jews who are uncompromisingly committed to struggles for human emancipation, of which the liberation of the Palestinian people and land is an indispensable part.
Corbyn seeks to draw a line under the row that has dominated the summer. As we reported on Tuesday, the party hopes to accept all IHRA definitions while adding addendums that allow free speech on Israel.
IJAN told us in a statement: "It is mischievous and disrespectful to attribute the organizing of the mass lobby of Labours NEC to IJAN when it was the unanimous decision of a meeting called by the chair of Camden Momentum and attended by over 110 people from 17 Momentum groups."
Joan gets lippy on gender neutral loos
Down time: Joan Collins (Photo by gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) / GC Images
Dame Joan Collins has doubled down on her dislike of gender-neutral toilets. The actor was recently a guest at her goddaughter Cara Delevingnes 26th birthday party, held in Hollywoods Chateau Marmont. Fortunately, the Chateau hasnt yet succumbed to the fad for gender-neutral toilets that almost every institution in the UK has adopted, Collins writes in this weeks Spectator. Where is a girl supposed to apply some lippy and have a quiet gossip nowadays? These temples of privacy and comfort are slowly being stripped away from us ladies.
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The Americans are at it again. The Wall Street Journal is the latest publication to explore British culture after the New York Times claimed our national cuisine was limited to mutton and porridge. Andy Ngo wrote a piece entitled A visit to Islamic England in which the subheader screamed: No one made eye contact. How very British.
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Parliament and gammon are a match made in heaven. Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, posted a photo yesterday of a gammon steak on the parliamentary canteen board. Some would say theres enough gammon in this place without it topping the menu, she wrote, but I couldnt possibly comment.
Were moving in right direction, says BFI as it hails an equality triumph
The BFI London Film Festival is beating its continental rivals in terms of gender equality. Tricia Tuttle, the festivals director, heralded the statistics at the launch last night: 38 per cent of the directors in the programme are women. While we all want to move towards parity, we dont want to set quotas for ourselves, Tuttle said. We are trying to serve audiences and serve the programme and that is always at the heart of our curatorial process. We always talk about where the film comes from and who made it... in terms of global diversity, gender diversity... but we havent set out to say 50 per cent has to be female filmmakers.
Tuttle was joined at the event in Leicester Square by BFI CEO Amanda Nevill and Irish director Lenny Abrahamson. Meanwhile, in Fitzrovia, actors Malachi Kirby and Kola Bokinni, and Charlotte Carroll and Oliver Proudlock were at Estee Lauders HQ for a Clinique and GQ party.
SW1A
Frank Fields resignation from the Labour whip last night sent online Corbynites into overdrive. Amid the lashing out was one Twitter user who was so enraged by Simon Clarke MP praising Fields resignation that he started insulting him: I take it youre going to be joining him sometime soon...The pair of you should because you are not representing the Labour voters, therefore youre MPs under false pretences. Clarke replied: I am a Conservative MP.
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Naan sense: Liz Truss (Instagram)
Liz Truss is determined to use Brexit to broaden Britains culinary reach. She visited a Bedfordshire flatbread factory yesterday to discuss their international exports. Selling naan breads in India from a company based in Dunstable would once have been unthinkable, she said. Its this type of entrepreneurial, and go-getting, spirit that will help the UK make a success of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape Britain. She could sell ice to eskimos, that one.
Comedy returns at Fleabag cafe
The second series of Fleabag, the hit comedy drama written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, is being filmed in Dartmouth Park. Theres just one problem: since the first series finished, work has been underway to turn the shabby cafe where Phoebes character works and which provides the backdrop for many scenes into a Turkish diner. Producers were so keen to include the Village Cafe in York Rise that they have spent the past week turning it back. Locals described watching the builders spend six weeks transforming it, only to have it changed back, as a laugh.
Quote of the Day
It was awfully fun having sex with Emma Stone
Close: Emma Stone and Olivia Colman (Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage) / WireImage
A second Labour MP today revealed to the Evening Standard he could quit the party whip over Jeremy Corbyns handling of the anti-Semitism crisis.
Mike Gapes said he felt tainted and sickened by the charge of racism hanging over the party he joined 50 years ago.
The Ilford South MP, who has served in Parliament for 26 years, said he was agonising over what to do next.
Former minister Frank Field resigned the Labour whip yesterday and today suggested he might force a by-election and stand against the party.
Mr Gapes indicated his decision on whether to stay or go could depend on whether the partys National Executive Committee agrees to adopt in full the internationally agreed definition of anti-Semitism at a showdown meeting on Tuesday.
He warned he could not accept any compromise that involved a weasel-worded caveat being adopted at the same time as the formal definition. I am agonising every day about the situation and the state of the Labour Party, he said.
Veteran MP Frank Field has resigned amid the anti-Semitism row in the Labour party / PA
I will make my own decision about how I deal with this in my own time.
Next week is important because of the role of the NEC [National Executive Committee] on Tuesday and the vote of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Wednesday.
Labour leadership sources have signalled that the NEC is seeking a compromise that would see it endorse the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, but might also adopt a form of words that would give a right to free speech.
Left-wingers oppose the full definition as they see it as a curb on criticism of Israel.
In his interview, Mr Gapes made clear he could not support such a compromise that would undermine the full definition, which is widely adopted by public bodies and regarded as a cornerstone in the fight against racism.
He said he had always ruled out quitting until the crisis over anti-Semitism engulfed the party under Mr Corbyns leadership.
I now feel tainted and sickened about where we are as a party, he said. There are no good options here. After 50 years as a member, Labour is in my DNA.
Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey, a friend of Mr Field, rejected as media rubbish rumours that she is thinking of quitting too. She warned that Labour would lose his Birkenhead seat if he stood there as an independent candidate.
Frank is Labour to his core, she said. He is respected by all sides in Parliament and if he stood as Independent Labour at the next election would win easily.
Speaking to the Standard ahead of a meeting with Chief Whip Nick Brown this afternoon, Mr Field insisted he will fight the next election, either as a Labour candidate with the whip restored or as Independent Labour.
Asked if he would trigger a by-election, he said he would be thinking about that but had not decided. I hadnt planned this with other Labour MPs, he said. I am not part of a wider group. I think Jeremy will lead us into the next election [and therefore] it becomes more urgent that we regain our position at the centre of anti-racism and as a party of tolerance.
If we cant do that ourselves, I do not think people are going to risk us running a government. He called on the NEC to adopt without quibble the definition of anti-Semitism. Centrist MPs were furious that Mr Corbyns office shrugged off Mr Fields resignation by saying he had been looking for an excuse to go. The Corbynite group Momentum tweeted a video clip from the comedy series The Office in which David Brent announces he is leaving but his staff do not care.
Labour MP Neil Coyle hit out: Anyone cheerleading Frank Fields departure is doing the work of the Tories and undermining the party and our values.
Frank has been an MP for my entire life. He has given his life to the party and achieved real difference to peoples lives and tackled poverty. This is a massive decision. We can pretend everything is hunky-dory and tickety-boo and carry on regardless, or we can get on with tackling the problem.
Mr Field complained Mr Corbyns curt message of thanks for his service was as though I was resigning from a whist club. He said he was also angry to have learned from TV news that Labour had dismissed complaints he had made to headquarters about the conduct of Left-wingers in his constituency.
T hree members of the Windrush Generation who were wrongly deported to the Caribbean have died, the Home Office has said.
It confirmed the Jamaican government's reports that three people died before officials were able to contact them to help them to return the UK.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the revelation should "shame" the government and called on Prime Minister Theresa May to personally apologise to the affected families.
The Home Office apologised and said it was "inexcusable", while Kamina Johnson-Smith, the Jamaican foreign minister, described the situation as "unfortunate".
Windrush scandal: What you need to know
Ms Johnson-Smith told The Guardian: "We have just received the information that they are dead. We have to find the families.
"There are no mobile numbers on the national registry. You might end up in a community, asking if people know the people who live beside them. It can be quite painstaking. Our team is on it every day.
"People's lives have been impacted in a serious way. Families have been impacted and that is a terrible thing."
The people of Jamaica had felt "a mix of hurt and anger" when the scandal emerged, she said.
Windrush 70th anniversary celebrated at Westminster Abbey
But Ms Johnson-Smith added the government's response to the crisis had "certainly improved" and had not destabilised Jamaica-UK relations.
She added: "We have maintained a collaborative approach. So far so good.
"We are trying to play our part in ensuring that rights are restored where they have been taken away and a sense of justice is felt by persons who have been affected, and that this is all done in a timely way.
Windrush generation arrive in Britain 1 /14 Windrush generation arrive in Britain Some of the pioneering Windrush generation arrive at Tilbury Docks, from Jamaica Getty Images The journey to the UK cost 28 Getty Images They arrived on June 22, 1948 Getty Images The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain SSPL via Getty Images The group were the first of the Windrush generation to emigrate to Britain Getty Images Arrivals scrutinise a map of the London Underground Getty Images The Windrush generation helped to rebuild post-war Britain Getty Images Members of the 55 Independent Squadron wait to board the Empire Windrush at Southampton, to fight in the Korean War Getty Images A black man walks past graffiti stating 'Powell For PM', referring to Enoch Powell who caused controversy with his outspoken attitude to black immigration and racial integration Getty Images Three Jamaicans (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury Docks Getty Images Nearly 1000 West Indian immigrants arrive in three boats trains at Waterloo Station. Many brought with them packing cases containing treasured possessions, 15th October 1961 Mirrorpix/Getty Images West Indian immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom, 19th May 1962 Mirrorpix/Getty Images Nearly 1000 West Indian immigrants arrive in three boats trains at Waterloo Station. Many brought with them packing cases containing treasured possessions, 15th October 1961 Mirrorpix/Getty Images 27th May 1956: Immigrants to Britain from the West Indies queuing up on arrival at Southampton holding documents Getty Images
"We want to be sure as best as possible that something like this does not happen again."
Ms Abbott blamed the "hostile environment policy" for the scandal.
She said: "The deaths of these British citizens in Jamaica shame this government and the Prime Minister, who is the architect of the hostile environment policy that saw these British citizens sent to Jamaica.
Diane Abbott said the deaths 'shame the government' / PA
"Our fellow citizens dying thousands of miles from their homes, families and friends and our health service is the latest tragic injustice suffered by our fellow citizens as a direct result of the Tories' hostile environment.
"The Prime Minister must personally apologise to their families and loved ones."
The Home Office said in a statement on Friday: The experiences faced by some members of the Windrush Generation are inexcusable. The home secretary and the immigration minister have said it is their priority to right the wrongs that have occurred.
Our historical reviews into removals and detentions have identified 18 people who it is believed could have been wrongfully removed or detained. Three of the 18 people have been confirmed as having died. The home secretary will be writing to the families of the deceased as well as the other 15 people identified to offer a personal apology. We are working closely with Caribbean high commissioners and governments to do this.
L ondon will be hotter than Monaco this weekend as temperatures soar back up to the high 20s.
A burst of sunshine will hit the capital this weekend with temperatures climbing to around 26C, which is hotter than it is expected to in Monaco, according to the Met Office.
Meteorologist Bonnie Diamond said that throughout the weekend temperatures will be above average for the start of September. It should be a largely dry, fine, and settled weekend with plenty of sunshine, she said.
Most of the country will remain warm and dry as a band of showers breaks up tonight - meanwhile European cities like Barcelona and Berlin are expecting rainstorms.
On Sunday it looks like temperatures in London will be 24C and could go up to 25C or 26C with sunshine," said the forecaster. And after one of the warmest, driest summers on record, the good weather is expected to continue into early next week.
Today is supposed to be the last day of the meteorological summer, the Met Office's Twitter page said with 2018 vying for a spot as the hottest on record.
There will be some more cloudy patches in the west of England over the rest of Friday and some areas with a chance of showers.
Northern Ireland, western Wales and some of Scotland will be covered with cloud by on Saturday morning.
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
The midlands and West Country will be grey as well by Saturday afternoon while the south-east enjoys hot weather and sunshine.
A couple who raised $400,000 (308,000) for a homeless veteran have been given 24 hours to hand over all the money after he accused them of pocketing the donations.
Kate McClure, 28, launched the fundraising drive to help Johnny Bobbitt Jr after he gave her his last $20 so she could buy petrol.
She and her boyfriend Mark DAmico, 35, said on a GoFundMe page they wanted to find Mr Bobbitt, 34, an apartment and a job.
But Mr Bobbitt, a former soldier and firefighter from North Carolina, this week sued the couple, claiming he did not get the full amount.
He said the couple bought him a camper van, which he lived in on the drive of their New Jersey home, and a used car, but nothing else.
His lawyers accused them of enjoying a lifestyle they could not afford including buying a BMW by using the fund as their personal piggy bank.
Ms McClure, a receptionist, and Mr DAmico, a car mechanic, said they withheld the money to stop Mr Bobbitt spending it on drugs. They claimed he had blown $25,000 in a fortnight.
P resident Donald Trump has threatened to quit the World Trade Organisation if it does not shape up and treat America better.
The presidents warning comes as he ramps up a tit-for-tat trade war with China with a third round of tariffs on 154 billion of Chinese goods set to be enforced as early as next week.
If they dont shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO, he said today in an Oval Office interview.
The president risks throwing international trade into further chaos by escalating his rhetoric against the economic body.
He has long been critical of the WTO, which was formed in 1994 to provide a framework for global trade and help resolve disputes. He told Bloomberg News the agreement to establish the WTO was the single worst trade deal ever made.
He claims the open trade system overseen by the body is at odds with his protectionist policies and insisted the United States has been treated very badly over the years.
Insisting the Swiss-based organisation needs to change their ways, Mr Trump claimed that in previous years the US rarely won any complaints brought to the WTO against other nations.
In the last year, were starting to win a lot, he added. You know why? Because they know if we dont, Im out of there.
Last week, EU and Japanese officials visited Washington to discuss WTO reforms and possible new rules targeting Chinas non-market economy, one of the key issues drawing Mr Trumps ire. The US has been blocking the election of new judges to handle WTO disputes, potentially freezing up the system by choking the bodys ability to issue judgements.
In the Bloomberg News interview, Mr Trump also said that rival Democrats should not try to unseat him because he is doing so well as president.
I dont think they can impeach somebody thats doing a great job, he said. You look at the economy, you look at jobs, you look at foreign, whats going on with other countries. You look at trade deals. Im doing a great job.
He said threats to launch impeachment proceedings against him if Democrats overturn Republican majorities in US Congress in Novembers mid-term elections could set a dangerous precedent for every future president.
At a campaign rally in Indiana, Mr Trump also vowed to get involved with the FBI and Justice Department if they dont start doing their jobs right.
He is still furious over the Justice Department decision to appoint Special Counsel Robert Mueller to lead an FBI investigation into allegations of collusion by members of his campaign with Russia and has repeatedly condemned the probe as a hoax and a witch hunt.
Speaking in Evansville, where he was campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Mike Braun, he claimed: Our Justice Department and our FBI have to start doing their jobs and doing it right and doing it now, because people are angry. People are angry.
A n Australian filmmaker arrested in Cambodia for flying a drone over an opposition rally was today found guilty of espionage and sentenced to six years in jail.
James Ricketson, 69, had insisted he was merely taking photos for a documentary.
But prosecutors argued that he had used journalism as a front for spying, citing links to former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party. Ricketson shouted, Who am I spying for? as he was driven away from court in the capital Phnom Penh in a prison van this morning.
The CNRP was Cambodias main political opposition until it was dissolved by the Supreme Court last November, accused by the Government of plotting to seize power with the help of the United States.
The prosecution also accused Ricketson of treason, saying he planned to overthrow the countrys strongman prime minister Hun Sen, and illegally give information to foreign governments.
He has been in jail since his arrest last July.
Australian filmmaker James Ricketson / AP
The Bafta-winning Australian director Peter Weir testified in his defence, telling the trial that his friend was a victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding. Hes an artist, he told the three-judge panel. Were strange people but were pretty harmless.
Character witnesses also testified to Ricketsons financial generosity to people in need in the country. The filmmaker has been travelling there for 22 years to record the lives of poor Cambodians, relatives said.
The evidence presented against Ricketson appeared thin, but Cambodias courts are considered highly politicised and their rulings often align closely with the ruling partys agenda.
A handful of personal emails suggested Ricketson was sympathetic to the opposition and critical of Huns government, but revealed no sensitive or secret information.
Outside court, his son Jesse, who relocated to Phnom Penh to help co-ordinate the defence, said he and his family were utterly devastated.
T he first trophy hunts for grizzly bears in Yellowstone national park in more than 40 years have been blocked by a federal judge.
The move came after native American groups and environmentalists pleaded to restore the animals' protected status.
A court in Montana ruled to place a temporary ban on hunting the wild animals in the largest national park in the US, home to one of the country's most loved populations of bears.
District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula, Montana handed out a 14-day restraining order just two days before Wyoming and Idaho were scheduled to open licensed grizzly hunts, Reuters reports.
Permission had previously been given for as many as 23 bears in the two states to be shot and killed for sport.
A female Grizzly bear exits Pelican Creek in Yellowstone National Park. / AFP/Getty/Karen Bleier
Opposing groups wait on the larger question of whether the federal government should return Endangered Species Act safeguards to grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone region.
The judge wrote in her statement from the court: "The threat of death to individual bears posed by the scheduled hunts is sufficient."
Wyoming officials however urged the judge to leave managing the bears to the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Wyoming's senior assistant attorney general, Erik Petersen, told the Associated Press: "The likelihood of any significant harm to the population is essentially nil."
But the conservationists who had sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the victory would would protect the 700 grizzly bears in around Yellowstone National Park.
Mike Garrity, the executive director for the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, said: "We're thrilled. Now the judge has time to rule without grizzly bears being killed starting Saturday morning."
Native Americans revere the grizzly bear as sacred.
T oy manufacturer Lego wants to completely remake its plastic bricks by 2030.
The Danish family-owned company wants to eliminate its dependence on petroleum-based plastics and instead opt for a more eco-friendly material.
The famous toy bricks that everyone is familiar with could soon be made entirely from plant-based or recycled materials in just under ten years, the company hopes.
Legos new bricks are hopefully still going to be able to click together, separate easily and retain its bright colours.
The change of materials has come after worldwide concerns about the impact of plastic waste on the environment.
Henrik Ostergaard Nielson, a production supervisor in Legos factory in Billund, told the New York Times: We need to learn again how to do this.
The newspaper reported that Lego emits about a million tons of carbon dioxide each year, with about three-quarters coming from raw materials that go into factories.
It is hoped the company can reduce its carbon footprint by getting rid of plastic inside of its cardboard packaging.
A t least seven people have been killed and several injured after a bus smashed head on into a truck on a major road in the US.
One of the trucks tyres is said to have blown, causing it to swerve into the Greyhound bus as it travelled in the opposite direction.
The incident happened at about midday local time on Interstate 40 in New Mexico, near the Arizona border.
Most of the 49 passengers on the bus, which was travelling from Albuquerque to Phoenix, have been taken to hospital.
First responders working the scene of a collision which left at least seven dead / AP
Injuries to the truck driver are not believed to be life threatening, police said.
Shocking images from the scene show a truck on its side, cargo scattered across the highway, and the Greyhound bus upright, its front end obliterated.
Passing motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.
Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash.
One of the trucks tires is said to have blown, causing it to swerve into the bus / AP
He said the trucks trailer was "shredded to pieces" and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together.
"It was an awe-inspiring terrible scene," he said
Truck driver Santos Soto III said: "I'm a pretty strong person and I broke down and cried for at least 30 minutes.
"We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own," a Greyhound spokeswoman said in a statement.
T wo guests evacuated from a hotel in Egypt where a British couple died are reported to have the highly infectious bacterial infection shigella .
The mother and her young daughter are said to be part of a family of four who fell ill while on holiday in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
They were among the guests evacuated from the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel after John and Susan Cooper died suddenly on August 21.
An environmental health officer told them that samples showed they were suffering from the infection, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Shigella can cause diarrhoea and stomach cramps, and is a common cause of food poisoning.
The couple were staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada / Steigenberger Aqua Magic
A lawyer for the unnamed family said it was a "crucial development", and could indicate that "pathogens were present at the property".
Nick Harris, from law firm Simpson Millar, told the paper: "If you have an illness problem in an all-inclusive property with several hundred guests moving around, you can either close the place for a deep clean or attempt to deal with it while the guests remain in situ.
"If you believe it's in the water, additional chlorine might be added to it in an attempt to kill the bug, so it's important to find out things such as what the Coopers drank that evening before they collapsed.
"If there was a sickness bug that the hotel knew about, how did they deal with it?"
Thomas Cook moved 300 guests out of the hotel as a precaution 24 hours after Mr and Mrs Cooper died after becoming aware of an increased number of illnesses.
Chief executive Peter Fankhauser previously confirmed that 13 customers had food poisoning but were not in a serious condition.
Mr Fankhauser flew to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the deaths with prime minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly and minister of tourism Rania Al-Mashat.
Hundreds of Brits evacuated from Egypt holiday resort
Following the meeting, Ms Al-Mashat said "detailed autopsies" were being conducted by a team of forensic pathologists. The process is expected to be concluded next week.
A separate investigation led by Egyptian prosecutor Nabil Sadeq is testing food, water and air conditioning at the hotel.
An inspection of the Coopers' hotel bedroom is said to have found no harmful gas emissions or leaks.
Thomas Cook pledged to continue to work with the Egyptian authorities and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to "prioritise the very best interests of the Cooper family".
The spokesman added: "The well-being of our customers in Egypt remains of paramount importance."
The travel company has commissioned its own tests into food hygiene and air conditioning at the hotel, although it has not been granted access to the Coopers' room. The results are due in the middle of next week.
T he White House have announced that US President Donald Trump will visit Ireland later this year, in a trip that is hoped will renew the deep and historic ties between the two countries.
Mr Trumps visit will take place in November this year, just four months after his controversial visit to the UK.
It will coincide with a trip to France where he will take part in Armistice Day commemorations.
In a statement, the White House said: President Donald J Trump will travel to Paris, France, to participate in a November 11 commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting in World War I.
"The president's participation in this event will highlight the sacrifices that Americans have made, not only during World War I but also in the century since, in the name of liberty.
"While in Europe, the president also will visit Ireland to renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations."
Deputy Prime Minister for Ireland, Simon Coveney tweeted that the president was "always welcome".
He said: "President Trump will visit Ireland in November. The US President is always welcome in Ireland.
"Our two countries have such strong historic, economic, cultural and family ties. Maintaining those connections is always a top priority."
P oliticians and some of the biggest names in music turned out to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul in an emotional celebration of her life.
Ariana Grande sang a rendition of Aretha Franklin's (You Make me Feel Like) A Natural Woman during the service at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.
Aretha Franklin died, aged 76, on August 16 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Mourners in attendance at Ms Franklin's funeral included Bill Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg and Stevie Wonder.
The ceremony itself lasted around fix to six hours.
Aretha Franklin performs at the funeral of Aretha Franklin
Floral tributes from stars including Elton John, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross were laid outside the Temple which was emblazoned with the sign: A Celebration Fit for The Queen.
The Queen of Soul's relatives paid tribute to her, taking to the stage to describe a woman who cooked for them, gossiped with them and passed on her gifts to them.
Victorie Franklin said she will always cherish being part of Franklin's legacy, recognising parts of her grandmother in her.
Bill Clinton said Ms Franklin "lived with courage" and "with faith" / REUTERS
"Nothing sounded better to me than my grandmother's voice, she said.
"Her voice brought peace."
Grandson Jordan directed his remarks directly to Aretha and had to fight to hold back tears.
"I'm sad today because I am losing my friend, but I know the imprint she left on this world can never be removed. You showed the world God's love, and there's nothing more honourable."
Former president Bill Clinton said during his speech that Franklin "lived with courage" and "with faith."
Reverend Jesse Jackson arrives at the Greater Grace Temple / Getty Images
Barack Obama sent a message which said: "Her music captured some of our deepest human desires, namely affection and respect."
While George W Bush said that Franklin would continue to inspire future generations.
A group of pallbearers wheeled her gold casket into the venue ahead of the ceremony.
Reverend Al Sharpton speaks at the funeral of Aretha Franklin / AP
While attendees found their seats at the Greater Grace Temple, the Aretha Franklin Orchestra performed a medley featuring "I Say a Little Prayer," `'Angel" and other songs she was known for, along with gospel numbers "I Love the Lord" and "Walk in the Light."
Smokey Robinson, a Motown great remembered first hearing Aretha play piano when he was just 8 and remaining close to her for the rest of her life, talking for hours at a time.
"You're so special," he said, before crooning a few lines from his song "Really Gonna Miss You."
Her body lay in state at the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History, where thousands of fans frequented to pay their respects.
Relatives of Ms Franklin embrace as they share stories about her / AFP/Getty Images
Ms Franklin's niece, Sabrina Owens said that she started putting thoughts to paper about her aunt's memorial earlier this year as her health started to decline.
Since Ms Franklin's death, Ms Owens said a close group she described as "Aretha's angels" have "worked tirelessly" and been guided by a single question: "What would Aretha want?"
Paying her respects: Ariana Grande will perform at the service / AP
"After all she gave to the world, I felt we needed to give her an appropriate send-off that would match her legacy," she said.
Aretha Franklin Tributes - In pictures 1 /26 Aretha Franklin Tributes - In pictures EPA AFP/Getty Images AP REUTERS AFP/Getty Images EPA EPA EPA EPA Reuters AP Getty Images Getty Images AP AP AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AP EPA EPA AFP/Getty Images EPA Reuters
Her funeral comes a day after the Four Tops, Kathy Taylor Brown and Angie Stone performed at a Tribute Concert in her honour.
MEP Ioan Mircea Pascu stated on Thursday, in Mamaia, at the opening of the Summer School of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) 's Women's Organisation that Romania may encounter several obstacles in taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, considering that as far as the internal policy is concerned, a six-month truce is needed throughout the mandate, according to Agerpres.
"A first matter, I'm thinking, could be that until now, we haven't been too active and all of a sudden we are forced to become active. Let us not forget that for a long time the indications of the Romanian diplomats in Brussels have been to support consensus. In other words, we should not dare have a different opinion than those who have accomplished consensus, because we weren't supposed to be troublesome. in my opinion it was wrong because Romania has thus lost a great deal of moments in which it could have better define a profile and be today, so to speak, far more entitled to take a stance as compared to the situation where one has kept quiet and suddenly it needs to get involved. This is one matter," the MEP said.
"Let us not forget that others, from abroad will raise hurdles in our way. Let us not believe that everybody is happy if Romania has a good presidency and we can expect obstacles of this kind. let us not forget that we have our agenda, but you see, as Ms. Rovana Plumb has said, there are already cases that we take over unfinished from other parties and we will have to make a compromise between our files and the files we will have to take over," Deputy President of the European Parliament Ioan Mircea Pascu affirmed.He further said that there might be a "boycott", caused by the internal political fight, deeming that a truce is needed throughout Romania's mandate of the Presidency of the Council of the EU."Just as during the old days, at the Olympics, the Greek would stop fighting each other during the Olympics, perhaps we should stop too, for these six months, and have a truce," Ioan Mircea Pascu maintained.
Romania will continue to promote its candidacy for a non-permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council, "an important external policy goal", the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informs in a release, according to Agerpres.
"A strong support on the political class's behalf and the Romanian society's as a whole, of the media included, enhances the chances of success," the MAE release adds.
The above-mentioned specification is sent as a result of the information surfaced in the media according to which Romania would have lost the seat of a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council.In context, the ministry recalls that Romania has applied in 2006 for a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council for the 2020 - 2021 period, on the spot allocated to the East-European Group our country is a party. Elections for this mandate are due within the General Assembly of the United Nations in June 2019.According to the UN Charter, Chapter IV, Art. 18, the mandate of a non-permanent member in the Security Council could be only grabbed by vote within the General Assembly, with support of two-thirds of the UN member states that currently count for 193, the MAE release concludes.
iStock/Thinkstock(LAS VEGAS) -- Police have arrested a woman in Las Vegas who had said her daughter wandered off before officers found the girls body in a duffel bag in a closet, according to authorities.
The incident began when officers arrived to investigate a report of a missing 3-year-old on Aug. 23, just before 10 p.m., the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement Friday.
The mother, Aisha Thomas, told officers she was walking to a store with four kids when "the 3-year-old wandered off while she was talking with someone else," police said.
Thomas gave police a key to her apartment and, while searching the closet in the master bedroom, an officer noticed a "wet, moldy smell" coming from a black duffel bag, according to the arrest report.
The officer found layers of trash bags in the bag -- and a girl who wasn't breathing and was cold to the touch, according to the police report.
She had abrasions and bruises on her head, the report said.
Thomas repeated her initial story that the child had wandered off, according to the report, before admitting that the 3-year-old had wet herself and Thomas hit her on the head.
The girl fell to the ground and wouldn't stop crying, according to the report, and Thomas said she tried to quiet her and gave her water.
Thomas, who was arrested last Friday, told police she left the apartment for about 10 minutes, and when she came back, the girl was wrapped in a blanket in the master bedroom, the report said.
Her daughter wasn't breathing, so Thomas said she "panicked" and wrapped the girl in multiple trash bags before putting her inside a duffel bag and putting the bag in the closet, the report said.
Thomas, 29, was arrested for one count of murder, police said.
The three other children at the scene were put in the care of Child Protective Services, police said.
Thomas has not yet entered a plea but plans to plead not guilty at the first available opportunity, according to her public defender, Sarah Hawkins.
Hawkins declined to comment further.
Thomas' preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
On August 23, 2018, best-selling Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin was denied entry into Bosnia-Herzegovina (B-H) on the grounds that he represents a threat for the security and international relations of the country, as adjudged by Bosnias Intelligence and Security Agency. Approving Western media reports emphasized Prilepins past involvement in the conflict in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine on the side of the forces fighting against the central government in Kiev and its Russophobic policies instituted in the aftermath of the Maidan Coup in February 2014.
But Prilepin himself has never hidden this fact, and reiterated it in his interview for the Serbian-language Sputnik news agency, adding however that he had visited B-H 20-30 times before without any problems, having met the president of the Serbian entity, Republika Srpska (B-H is made up of two political units or entities, the other being the Federation of B-H, with a Croat-Muslim majority), as well as globally famous film director Emir Kusturica, who runs a cultural, administrative and educational complex there. In fact, Prilepin pointed out that this was the first time that a European country had denied him entrance, as he has traveled extensively throughout Western Europe, including Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France, without any problems.
The Russian embassy expressed concern and deep disappointment over the incident and has asked for an explanation from the B-H Foreign Ministry, which passed the buck by itself asking for an explanation from the B-H Council of Ministers (the B-H government) and two other ministries, without any results so far.
The prime minister of Republika Srpska, Zeljka Cvijanovic, marveled at the fact that, while hundreds of EU-bound migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia were being allowed to enter B-H each day without passports, a Russian writer with a valid passport was stopped at the border. In her opinion, this was an orchestrated action of various B-H agencies and certain Western embassies, and that some sort of political list of undesirable persons had been made up as part of a campaign of anti-Russian hysteria. Prilepin himself offered confirmation of the prime ministers suspicions, saying that some of the border agents that stopped him honestly admitted that he wasnt the only one on the black list, which also includes a number of Russian businessmen who are barred from entering the country.
Prominent security expert Dzevad Galijasevic himself a Bosnian Muslim also thinks that this incident is part of a deliberate anti-Russian policy and accused top B-H government figures, including the Muslim member of the B-H presidency, of declaring silent sanctions against Russia, while, at the same time, only Wahhabis, mujahedeen and terrorists of the Islamic State, who are coming while impersonating migrants, are welcome to BiH, along with people such as Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al Sawah, whom Fox News has described as a legendary Al Qaeda explosives expert, whose invention of the shoe-bomb endeared him to Usama bin Laden and who may have known about 9/11 in advance. Al Sawah was freed from Guantanamo Bay in 2016 and sent to B-H, whose top officials had no qualms about accepting him.
The outspoken president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, also pointed to the absurdity of a Russian writer being deemed a threat to B-H, while thousands of migrants and returnees from the war in Syria were deemed safe, declaring the ban on Prilepins entry into B-H as part of the involvement of security institutions in Bosnia in the anti-Russian hysteria that is being run by some Western countries in the run-up to general elections in B-H slated for October 7, 2018.
Indeed, especially during the past months, media throughout the Balkans have carried almost daily lamentations on the part of various Western officials, diplomats and media regarding Russias malign influence in the region, without actually offering any hard evidence. On the other hand, credible, fact-based charges regarding US meddling in the election process has been offered on more than one occasion.
For example, just a day before Prilepin was barred from entering B-H, Mr. Dodik accused the US of meddling in the upcoming elections, specifying, according to Reuters, that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was implementing its aid program through non-government organizations to conceal its real agenda of countering Russian influence in the region, granting funds to various non-governmental organizations under cover of the alleged fight against crime and corruption, and the strengthening of independent media and NGOs, with the funds always coming by way of programs run by George Soros.
That wasnt the first time that the US was accused of meddling in Bosnias election. Back in May, the government of Republika Srpska submitted a report to the UN Secretary-General containing evidence pointing to serious, US-led election meddling as part of a systematic effort, by way of media financing, to influence B-H political life for the last 23 years, since the country became a de facto Western political protectorate. All told, the US has spent over $100,000,000 in media funding in B-H since the end of the civil war in 1995, most of it channeled through USAID and the US State Department through the US embassy in Sarajevo, mainly targeted against nationalist parties. As for the upcoming elections, the report charges, the US Congress has allocated $18 million for the so-called Economic Support and Development Fund to B-H for 2018, purportedly to reduce vulnerabilities to Russian pressure, particularly in the energy and media sectors, as well as support independent media, elections, and democratic political processes.
It is, thus, relatively easy to deduce that the banning of the Russian writers entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina was no local caprice, but part of a broad, systematic US effort to, under the guise of combatting alleged Russian malign influence, meddle in the elections of another country, specifically B-H. In that context, Zakhar Prilepin is, to use a favorite term of so-called liberal interventionists, mere collateral damage. Unfortunately, as the entire region is viewed on the part of Western political-military structures as a piece of unfinished business, at the end of which process the Balkans are to be wholly absorbed into Euro-Atlantic structures which is a euphemism for NATO and the EU Prilepins banning is just a foretaste of (much) worse things to come such as a possible color revolution in the making against the governing nationalists in Republika Srpska courtesy of the usual democracy-promoting suspects, using the Russian meddling excuse as a convenient pretext.
Three things stand out in the remarks made by the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday in the context of Russias forthcoming Vostok-2018 military exercise in the Trans-Baikal Region in East Siberia during September 11-15.
At the obvious level, Peskov was speaking from the picturesque southwestern city of Omsk where he was accompanying President Vladimir Putin. Nothing that Peskov says can be unintentional and his remarks from Omsk carried added resonance, because he was also speaking from a vantage point in Russian history from a garrison town founded by the Siberian Cossacks four centuries ago.
Second, Peskov was speaking about the forthcoming Vostok-2018, which is already being noticed in the international opinion, including in western media, as a military exercise of strategic significance. Peskov indirectly referred to the NATOs belligerent military posturing toward Russia when he said that Vostok-2018 is taking place in the backdrop of the current international situation, which is frequently quite aggressive and unfriendly for our country.
Only a few hours before Peskov spoke, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had said that the drills will be unprecedented in their scope and will involve about 300,000 troops and over 1,000 aircraft. The Vostok-2018 will focus on traditional security (read wars, external territorial aggression) as against non-traditional security (terrorism, separatism, religious extremism, etc.) and it is billed as the biggest Russian exercise since the famous Zapad-81 drills. Of course, the former Soviet Unions Warsaw Pact allies had participated in the Zapad-81.
Taking all of the above into account, it was Peskovs remark regarding Chinas participation in the Vostok-2018 strategic drills that acquires salience. Peskov said, "This (Chinas participation) speaks about the expansion of interaction of the two allies in all the spheres."
Now, this is a profoundly significant choice of words. In all these decades since the 1960s, it is impossible to recall a top Kremlin official characterizing Russia and China as two allies in all the spheres. The common idiom is that they are partners. Officially, the Sino-Russian relations are described as comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
But there is no big surprise that the Sino-Russian relations have reached alliance conditions. The fashionable western interpretation is that the Kiev Euromaidan (2014) and the sanctions against Russia that followed had pushed Russia reluctantly into a Chinese embrace. But this is more of a self-serving western notion, since Russias pivot to China by far predates the regime change in Ukraine and had much to do with Moscows strategic focus on the global shift in power to the East and about turning Russia into a hub of intra-Asian trade and cooperation.
Equally, Western analysts faltered in their estimation that Unfortunately for Putin, Moscow has limited capacity to make its pivot dreams a reality to quote from a 2013 essay by Fiona Hill who presently serves in the National Security Council in the White House. But then, these alliance conditions have been consciously fostered through sustained efforts, often at the highest levels of leadership in Moscow and Beijing, and it is all too obvious today that they stand on firm foundations of mutual understanding and a rapidly expanding economic cooperation that is to mutual advantage.
What is the kind of alliance that Russia and China could have? For a start, what the two countries will not have is at once obvious if the obsolete North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is taken as the readily available benchmark. Evidently, no alliance headquarters is going to be built at a cost of 1.17 billion euros and there isnt going to be any interest to define the casus foederis of the Russian-Chinese alliance. Nor is there going to be anything like NATOs $6 billion defence budget in 2017 (which is expected to jump to $7.8 billion in 2020.)
Most certainly, the Russia-China alliance will not be riveted on cost-accounting principles of the sort US President Donald Trump is constantly dinning into the ears of his European allies. Needless to say, there arent going to be any standing forces on active duty on a permanent basis or any grandiose notions that some day the Russian-Chinese alliance will blossom into a global security organization, with its tentacles reaching out into the heart of Africa.
On the other hand, the Russia-China alliance will also be a unique community of values, as NATO keeps proclaiming itself. Conceivably, these values will include strict adherence to international law and the UN Charter, respect for national sovereignty no Libya or Iraq-style interventions, for example and the peaceful resolution of disputes and differences without the use of force. However, one cardinal difference with the NATO will be that unlike the latter, which takes cover behind inchoate values such as liberty, rule of law, democracy, et al, the Russian-Chinese alliance will be focused and purposive on the strengthening of a multipolar world order.
Arguably, the Russian-Chinese alliance will be in sync with the spirit of our times unlike NATO, which must constantly justify its raison detre through the juxtaposition of an enemy, caught up in the tragic predicament of having to stir up paranoia and xenophobia among member states in order to simply keep the herd from wandering away toward greener pastures.
Where the Russia-China alliance has an advantage is that it is a new type of alliance that allows the two countries to pursue their national interests while also creating space for each other through mutual support and foreign-policy coordination to maneuver optimally in the prevailing volatile international environment where it is no longer possible for any single power to exercise global hegemony. Indeed, the Sino-Russian coordination is working well in the Syrian conflict, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Iran nuclear issue or the struggle against terrorism and has become a factor of peace and regional stability.
Peskovs meaningful description of China as Russias ally provides a new perspective on the forthcoming visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia and his expected participation in the Eastern Economic Forum summit in Vladivostok next month.
Russia will hold the biggest war games in its history (since 1991), September 11-15. Dubbed Vostok-18, or East-18, the massive training event will be conducted on the firing ranges of Russias central and eastern military districts, spanning the distance from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Coast. It will involve almost 300,000 troops, 36,000 pieces of military equipment, more than 1,000 military aircraft, two of Russias naval fleets, and all its airborne units. Almost a third of all Russian military personnel will take part in Vostok-18. The exercise will include combat operations under a simulated nuclear attack. Even the Soviet Unions massive Zapad-81 (West-81) series of military drills were conducted on a smaller scale.
Vostok-18 will be held east of the Ural Mountains. Moscow is not obliged to notify the West or to invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Nevertheless, military attaches from Western nations will be welcomed to monitor the drills.
China and Mongolia have been invited to take part. The extent of Mongolias participation has not yet been made public. The Chinese contribution is very significant, consisting of 3,200 troops and more than 900 pieces of military hardware, as well as 30 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The PLA forces have already arrived in the region east of Lake Baikal. They will be training at the Tsugol training range in Russias Trans-Baikal region from September 11 to 15. There will be a joint staff established to coordinate the activities. This is the first time China has ever taken part in an internal, rather than a combined exercise.
On August 27, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov met the Head of the Joint Staff Department of the Chinese Central Military Commission Li Zuocheng in Moscow. During the negotiations, the military officials discussed expanding bilateral military cooperation. There is no Moscow-Beijing military alliance, but their joint participation in Russias largest-ever exercise makes it clear that the two countries are unofficially allied.
Chinese defense expert Zhou Chenming claims the countrys military is keen for more exchanges with Russias experienced armed forces. According to him, China also wants to show its support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is facing various diplomatic challenges, especially criticism from the US Secretary of State [Mike Pompeo] over Moscows annexation of Crimea.
Nothing has been announced officially so far, but its logical to assume that Russias Supreme Commander-in-Chief will come and see the training event with his own eyes. Although it is not part of the official program, the Chinese leader could join the Russian president.
Russian-Chinese military exercises have become routine, but they have never participated in a training event on such a scale. Last year, Russian and China held a series of joint military training events. Naval exercises were conducted in the Baltic Sea and the South China Sea.
Its rather symbolic that the drills will coincide with the Eastern Economic Forum, held Sept. 11-13 in Vladivostok, where Russian President Putin will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. They have a lot of issues to discuss, as the two nations are in the same boat both resisting the US policy of outright pressure and wars of sanctions. This year Washington made a show of revoking Chinas invitation to take part in the international RIMPAC naval exercise staged by the US. The US Navy has stepped up patrols near the waters adjacent to islands claimed by China, thus stirring up tensions in the region. It is planning to conduct a steady drumbeat of naval operations there. GOP lawmakers strongly support the idea of selling F-35 fighters to Taiwan, which is an open challenge to Beijing.
Russia and China are two great nations united by the common task of challenging the US-dominated international world order. The emerging Russian-Chinese alliance is part of Moscows Asia pivot. In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the 18-member East Asia Summit (EAS) as a well as a Russia-ASEAN summit that will be held on the side. Its the first time Russia will be represented by its head of state there. The East Asia Summits are the right venue for addressing East Asias security challenges.
The Russian president will promote his Greater Eurasia project, known as the Greater Eurasian Partnership, which is aimed at creating a common space in the region and encompasses the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the countries involved in the integration of the Chinas One Belt One Road initiative. China is not the only country with which Russia enjoys close ties. Its relationship with ASEAN is also making strides.
South Korean leader Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are also expected to attend the Economic Forum in Vladivostok. According to some estimates, approximately 7,000 people will take part in the event.
Russias engagement with China and other Asian states on various issues has grown in recent years. Russia is not an Asia-oriented power, but rather a world power with global interests that need be protected everywhere. The East-2018 exercise and the Russia-hosted East Economic Forum-2018 are elements of Russias Asia-Pacific strategy.
It was quite an admission this week, albeit unintentional. The three Western members of the UN Security Council the US, Britain and France all gave warning that they would carry out military strikes on Syria if the government forces there were to use chemical weapons.
That is a risible deceit of course, since the Syrian government does not possess chemical weapons, having disposed of its arsenal some two years ago under UN supervision.
This Western threat of unlawful military force against a sovereign country came as the Syrian government and the Russian military were loudly warning that a provocation with chemical weapons was being prepared by terror groups and foreign actors.
The Russian military gave details of toxic chemical supplies being transported in the northern Syrian province of Idlib by the terror group known as Nusra Front, in conjunction with their media agents called the White Helmets.
Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that what the Western powers are really trying to do is to stop the elimination of the last bastion of terrorist groups remaining in Syria, by issuing their threat of military intervention. Its as cynical and as blatant as that.
It is obvious that the US, British and French governments are caught in a ruse with illegally armed militants, by trying to find a pretext for launching a military assault on Syria under the cover of reacting to a propaganda stunt involving chemical weapons.
This would not be the first time either for such a nefarious ploy to be used. Several times during the past eight years of war in Syria, terror groups have been guilty of staging atrocities as a deliberate false flag to frame the Syrian government forces in order to elicit a pretext for military attack by the Western states. It is also documented that the US, Britain and France have been covertly supporting these same terror groups for the objective of regime change.
Earlier this year, an alleged chemical weapons assault in Douma, near Damascus, on April 7 resulted in the US, Britain and France launching a barrage of over 100 missiles on Syria. On that occasion, as before, it turned out that the chemical weapons incident was a diabolical hoax. The Western powers were therefore guilty of nothing short of criminal aggression against a sovereign nation.
This week was rather different, however, because Syrian and Russian authorities alerted the United Nations and international news media of the possible forthcoming attempt to stage another provocation. Threats of military action by the US, Britain and France were therefore seen for what they were a cynical orchestration in league with the terrorists.
Russia has also reportedly deployed its largest ever naval force to the East Mediterranean, including two submarines and destroyers armed with cruise missiles. The show of force no doubt serves as a warning to the US and the other Western powers that their threats of striking Syria would not go without consequence.
Syrias Foreign Minister Walid Muallem was in Moscow this week where he and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov reiterated the sovereign right of Syria to eliminate terror groups that are holding out in Idlib province. Lavrov described the last remaining militant bases in the country as an abscess that must be lanced in order to allow Syria to return to normality after years of a foreign-backed proxy war.
That is indubitably the correct plan of action. The Syrian government as the internationally recognized sovereign authority has the legal right to eliminate illegally armed groups from its territory. Russia has a legal right to assist given the official request from Damascus. Whats more, the terror groups holding out in Idlib have used their enclave to mount deadly attacks on the Syrian army and allied Russian forces. It is therefore well past time that the Syrian and Russian forces moved to eradicate this foreign-backed intrusion.
What is rather telling is that over the past three years since Russias military intervention in Syria to aid the government, the terrorist proxies have been systematically corralled into the enclave of Idlib after being routed from various former strongholds, including East Aleppo, Homs, East Ghouta and recently Daraa in the south of Syria. Up to now, the US, Britain and France have been afforded a measure of subterfuge by being able to claim that they are supporting moderate rebels which are supposedly intermingled with known terror groups like Nusra Front, Ahrar al Sham and Islamic State.
The final stage in the Syrian war, or rather the war on Syria, comes down to the elimination of the remaining bastion of anti-government militants in Syrias Idlib province. It is evident that there are no seeming moderate rebels among the terror groups. The militants gathered in Idlib estimated to number 10,000 are the concentrated dregs of the self-proclaimed jihadists affiliated with the terror network. Moreover, among this festering resistance are the so-called rescue group known as the White Helmets which have been lionized in the Western media as humanitarian heroes.
In other words, the assembled militants in Idlib are proof that the Western charade of supporting moderate rebels has at last been exposed for what it is. The US, Britain and France are caught in a trap of their own making, finally having been exposed as the sponsors of the most vile terrorist organizations that have brutalized Syrian society for the past nearly eight years.
When those Western governments threatened this week that they would use military force in Syria what they were admitting to, in effect, was their sponsorship of the terrorists who are now facing their final retribution from the Syrian army and its Russian ally.
It remains to be seen whether the Western governments are foolish and reckless enough to go to war on behalf of terrorists in Syria. But one thing is incontestably clear now. The US, Britain and France are explicitly on the side of the terror groups, indeed are the patrons of these groups, that have ransacked Syria and butchered hundreds of thousands of civilians.
When Syria begins to reconstruct from the ruins of war, the financial cost is liable to run into trillions of dollars. If international justice prevails, the US, Britain and France should be among the primary culprits to pay reparations for the horrendous criminal damage.
They have indicted themselves from their own declarations of violence against Syria this week.
Items About Areas That Could Break Out Into War
August 31, 2018: Indonesia continues to cope with violence caused by religious and ethnic disputes which have both resisted permanent solution. Islamic conservatism and radicalism are largely under control but Islamic terrorist groups still survive. Ethnic unrest and separatism are a more serious problem. This is mainly about Papua (the western half of New Guinea, the fourth largest island in the world), and bitter memories of losing nearby East Timor to a separatist uprising that, after more than 20 years of unrest, resulted in East Timor becoming independent. Indonesia is trying to avoid a similar fate for Papua. There have long been periodic outbreaks of ethnic violence in Papua, but now it is getting worse. Papua was long seen as less of a problem, and a more distant one, than Islamic terrorism.
Most Indonesians consider the establishment of East Timor in 2002 as nothing less than foreign interference and stealing of part of Indonesia. Australian soldiers led the peacekeeping force during this operation, and Indonesians hold Australia largely responsible for this "land grab". The rest of the world accuses Indonesia of atrocities in their brutal treatment of the population in East Timor, beginning when Indonesia invaded the province after the Portuguese colonial government left in 1975. An East Timor declaration of independence was ignored by the Indonesian invaders and over a hundred thousand East Timorese who resisted or protested were slaughtered. East Timor was always a very poor and small (1.1 million people) part of Indonesia, and an even more poverty stricken independent nation. Indonesia didnt lose much, except nationalist pride. Independent East Timor is propped up by foreign aid and growing business with neighboring Indonesia. In contrast, Papua has fewer people, more territory and less of a local economy. But Papua does contain huge quantities of valuable natural resources. In light of the many problems the UN encountered as East Timor gained its independence, there is not much enthusiasm for assisting Papua separatists.
Indonesia is determined not to lose Papua, the way they did nearby East Timor (also populated largely by Melanesians). Papua is much larger and populated with more of a less-educated population with a more tribal culture. As Papuans gain more education and political skills, Indonesia will have more difficulty holding onto the place. At the moment, the government is trying to tag the separatists as violent. But the evidence for this is often murky, and the Indonesians security forces have often carried out secret attacks and tried to blame them on someone else. There is definitely some violence but a lot of it is just local tribes that have long been hostile to any outsiders.
Papua is a large area that is thinly populated 900,000 people most of them belonging to one of the more than 300 Melanesian tribes. It is the poorest part of Indonesia, with some thirty percent of the population being extremely poor. The Papuans, who were ruled as a Dutch colony for centuries, were granted independence by the Dutch in 1961, but a year later Indonesia invaded and no one went to the aid of the Papuans. The UN called for a referendum to determine what the Papuans wanted, but Indonesia never allowed that to happen. The UN has continued to protest and pressure Indonesia, but nothing has changed, except for growing separatist violence. The government has responded by arresting and prosecuting anyone who openly demonstrates support for separatism. This has provided the incentive for more Papuans to join the non-violent and violent separatist groups.
Most Indonesians do not want Papua to be independent. In addition to lots of valuable natural resources, there's lots of unused land that can be occupied by Moslem migrants from crowded parts of the country. But that causes friction because the native Papuans are Melanesian, who look quite different from the majority Malays. Moreover, the Melanesians tend to be Christian while the Malays are almost all Moslems. The Malays are better educated and dominate the government and police. The Malays are also very corrupt and have done little to improve the lives of native Papuans over the last half century. There are a lot of Melanesians outside of Papua, and they are increasingly subject to violence by Malay Islamic radicals.
The situation in Papua got worse in 2018 when WPNLA (West Papua National Liberation Army), one of the two armed rebel coalitions, declared the start of a new offensive. WPNLA also claimed that it had gained the allegiance of more of the many armed separatist factions in Papua and that this would enable it to wage a sustained campaign. Their demands were the same one Papua separatists have been using since the 1970s; another vote on independence, but only after all Indonesian security forces have been withdrawn. The last referendum, in 1969, was generally considered rigged. Indonesia spent three decades using a lot of violence putting down Papuan protests. That ended when the Suharto dictatorship was overthrown in 1998 and replaced by an elected government. This encouraged the separatists but armed resistance was sparse and often carried out by uncoordinated factions. That slowly changed over two decades and now there are believed to be over two thousand armed separatists and a growing number (nearly a majority now) willing to operate in a coordinated fashion. The separatist demand that bothers the government most is about shutting down foreign run mines and oil/gas operations.
The most hated of these is the Freeport operation which is one of the largest copper/gold/silver mining facilities in the world. It employs nearly 20,000 people, most of them Papuans getting paid much less than foreign workers (but far more than what the average Papuan makes). The problem with the Freeport mine is the massive pollution is causes because waste from the mining and refining operation pollutes a major river system that remains polluted even when it reaches the sea, a hundred kilometers to the south.
At first, the growing number of attacks in 2018 were denied by the security services. By the middle of the year, those denials no longer worked. Police and soldiers in Papua responded to these incidents but their actions were not immediately reported because in Papua the police restrict the media and much of the violence takes place in isolated settlements. Eventually, the truth gets out but that only shows that police have been using terror tactics for at least a decade, killing a separatist every month or two and calling the incident one involving criminal, not political (separatists) activity. The WPNLA took credit for most of the attacks and often made it clear the targets were Malays from the Moslem majority of Indonesia coming to settle in a remote area and provide information for police about what native Papuans are up to. As the WPNLA reports via the Islamic terrorists piled up it became obvious that the security forces silence was about cover-up, not a lack of separatist violence. The Papuan separatists gave a long struggle ahead of them and after fifty years the separatists are more determined than ever before. That has the government concerned but not worked. Not yet.
Islamic Terrorism
The religious problems are all about JAD (Jemaah Ansharut Daulah), an Indonesian Islamic terror group that had affiliated itself with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). At the end of July, a court finally outlawed JAD which enabled police to more effectively investigate, capture and prosecute JAD members and supporters. What finally convinced the government to push for a ban and the passage of a stronger counter-terrorism law was a series of bloody attacks in May that JAD took credit for. These attacks were largely against Christian churches and other targets in East Java. These attacks triggered a massive police and public backlash that quickly led to numerous arrests of known or suspected ISIL supporters. Since these attacks police have arrested nearly 200 suspects and killed another 17 who resisted arrest violently. Interrogations and captured documents indicated a larger membership of JAD then previously believed. There was also proof that Aman Abdurrahman, the cleric that played a key role in forming JAD, encouraged the recent attacks even though he has been imprisoned since 2009. Abdurrahman was put on trial again and condemned to death. The date of the execution (by firing squad) has not been set but the police made it clear that they have more than a hundred JAD suspects under surveillance all and all of them would be arrested just before the execution of Abdurrahman. This is meant to cripple any plans JAD might have to carry out revenge attacks. Some known JAD leaders are still at large and being sought. New laws were passed making it easier to arrest terrorism suspects and hold them longer for interrogation.
Islamic terrorism continues to be a threat that is closer to where most Indonesians live and easier to report on. Yet ISIL has very little local support. Only about four percent of Indonesians approve of ISIL violence, the lowest percentage in Moslem majority nations. That is still a lot of people (over ten million) but the fact that over 90 percent of Indonesians oppose ISIL makes it a lot easier for the security forces to hunt them down. Despite that ISIL leaders had apparently deluded themselves into believing that they could gain a lot of local support by carrying out several horrific attacks during a short period of time. Al Qaeda had tried this over a decade earlier in Indonesia and failed spectacularly. ISIL failed to note how the al Qaeda in Indonesia fail developed because ISIL, as a more radical offshoot of al Qaeda, believed they were immune to past realities. They were not and that may provide other Moslem nations with another example of how a Moslem majority country can tolerate Islamic conservatives while also being able to crush Islamic terrorism.
Most of the recent Indonesian attackers were known supporters of ISIL who had traveled to Syria to live in (and fight for) the caliphate and then returned when the caliphate collapsed. Most of the Indonesians who went to Syria did not come back. Even many of those who were not killed believed they were safer outside of Indonesia.
The 500 or so known returnees underwent screening and extensive warnings to not support Islamic terrorist activity while back in Indonesia. Even before these attacks, the government was trying to get the counter-terrorism laws changed to deal with the way ISIL operated (indoctrinating entire families and advising them to conceal their religious fanaticism). In 2017 the government admitted that the popularity of ISIL had led to counter-terrorism forces detecting small groups of ISIL supporters in all but a few of the 33 Indonesian provinces. The May 13-14 attackers belonged to JAD, which had ordered its members to make attacks like these after a May 8th incident at a high-security prison for convicted Islamic terrorists, including some senior JAD leaders. Five prison guards died while preventing 156 prisoners from breaking out. After that the failed prison break there was another incident on the 10th where a policeman, standing guard in front of a West Java police hospital was stabbed by a man who turned out to be an Islamic terrorist. The attacker was shot dead by other police but was identified. Police have intercepted and arrested or shot dead (if resistance was encountered) several armed men intercepted as they sought to get close to the prison where the escape attempt was being suppressed. This did not indicate that ISIL was planning a larger series of attacks. So the JAD attacks came as a surprise and in response, the government surprised ISIL by banning JAD and finally passing the stronger counter-terror laws.
Within a few days of the last May attack police, especially Detachment 88 were allowed to arrest dozens of people they had been watching but could not touch because ISIL had, until then, purposely not been violent inside Indonesia. Now the entire country was on high alert and the government quickly obtained the new anti-terrorism law they had been seeking. The new law gives the police and military the power to arrest potential terrorists. This kind of power is unpopular with many Indonesians who remember the decades of military dictatorship that used similar powers to suppress any critics. The military leaders insist they will not abuse the new law and that may well be true if the military is constantly watched for misuse of the new arrest powers. The Indonesian remains relatively free and unrestricted.
Meanwhile, the government called for all Indonesians, especially those active on the Internet, to report any suspicious activity. That has worked in the past after a major attack (like the one in 2002) and worked again. Police were soon getting lots of tips and detailed information about what turned out to be JAD/ISIL members trying to hide in plain sight. The problem is this ISIL stealth mode does not stand up to a lot of scrutiny, especially by neighbors. The counter-terrorism intelligence experts quickly reconstructed the how to manual Indonesian ISIL supporters created to avoid police attention. Suddenly the local ISIL threat was a lot larger than believed. On the plus side, many of these ISIL members were still going through training and preparations for major attacks and could be jailed before they were ready.
What had the most impact on Indonesians was the use of children as suicide bombers. During the first attack, there were survivors who described how the mother triggered the vest her nine year old daughter was wearing before setting off her own. Indonesian Moslems knew this sort of thing took place elsewhere, like in Syria, Iraq and Nigeria. But to have it happen in Indonesia, the most populous (264 million people) Moslem (87 percent of the population) nation was horrific. Indonesia had always practiced a less fanatic form of Islam, in large part because Indonesia was not converted via conquest but gradually via contact with Arab merchants and seamen. The foreign Moslems attracted converts via personal example, not aggressive preaching and threats of physical harm.
But that made it easier for more conservative clerics to attract some Indonesian Moslems who were willing to defend Islam against the heresy rampant throughout Indonesia. Another target was the large non-Moslem minorities of Indonesia. The government tried to placate the Islamic radicals and that seemed to work for a while until it didnt. Now is another of those they have gone too far moments for the Islamic radicals and a growing number of Indonesians are becoming less tolerant of intolerant Islamic conservatives. Some of this shift in attitude is in self-defense. As Islam spread peacefully through Indonesia (until Christianity showed up and provided some competition) only some local Hindus, Buddhists and so on proved able to resist the conversion trend. That conversion was helped by the fact that most of the conversions were carried out by Indonesian Moslems who were tolerant of those seeking to keep some of their traditional (and ancient) practices. This is something Christian missionaries had learned to do, with great success. But Islam was different because back in Arabia and Egypt (where the most authoritative Islamic scholars tended to live) the word was that no such modifications were tolerable. But Indonesia was far away and no one ever seriously proposed a military expedition to rectify this incorrect thought.
Then came the Arabian oil wealth in the 1950s and soon there were Arab Islamic scholars opening up madrassas (Islamic religious schools) and building new mosques all over the world, paid for by powerful, pious and now petroleum rich Arabs who sought to protest Islam. All this was to make it clear that a true Moslem did not keep any old religious practices around. Most Indonesians ignored this, but a small minority became believers and by the end of the 1990s there were millions of Indonesians who favored this stricter Islam. Politicians found that the Islamic parties could deliver votes reliably as long as you supported the new lifestyle laws they wanted. So far the Islamic parties, for all their fanaticism, are very much a minority and the majority of Moslem politicians do not want to outlaw traditional Indonesian Islam, which tolerates alcohol, night clubs, education and modern fashions for the women and a lot of other stuff that makes the country prosper and brings in the tourists. Extreme groups like ISIL are forcing Indonesia to decide how tolerant it will be of an intolerant form of Islam.
One nasty side effect of all this enthusiasm for defending Islam was increased intolerance of any actual or suspected religious disrespect from non-Moslems. For example, a Buddhist woman was recently convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to 18 months in prison because she complained (privately, to friends) that the sound volume of public address system used by the local mosque was too loud and it would be nice if they turned it down. That casual comment turned into a rumor that Buddhists were critical of Islam and saying unspecified nasty things. That soon resulted in a mob of Moslems attacking a local Buddhist temple. That led to the woman who made comment being tracked down, arrested and prosecuted. The reaction to all this from most Indonesian Moslems and the Moslem clerical establishment was largely negative. These mob actions and prosecutions for blasphemy were seen as unjust and embarrassing by most Moslems. Moreover Moslems were fed up with getting bullied by a righteous minority. Another such embarrassment occurred recently when some Indonesian clerics tried to ban the use of a new measles vaccine that contained tiny amounts of material from pigs. There was no substitute available and Islamic clerics in other Moslem majorities where the vaccine had been used declared that this sort of thing was allowed under Islamic law. In short the more Islamic than thou attitudes that enabled ISIL to get established and grow in Indonesia had backfired.
This recent and quite major outbreak of ISIL violence was not unexpected, but ISIL did manage to gain the element of surprise. Up until May, there had not been much Islamic terrorist violence in 2018, even though a lot of Indonesian ISIL members were coming back from Syria and other places where ISIL had been crushed. In February there was an attack on a church in Java. The attack consisted of an attacker armed with a sword. He was subdued but not before he wounded several people. That attack did not set off calls for a major crackdown because it was apparently a lone wolf operation. It was the high-security prison breakout attempt on May 8th that did get the attention of counter-terrorism experts. The prison contained dozens of key Islamic terrorist leaders and technical experts. Such an effort to get them out of a heavily guarded prison indicated that many of the returned ISIL members had been busy, and discreet. Four days later the attacks on Christians showed that the local ISIL activists were desperate, determined but not prepared for a major effort.
Indonesia has established a remarkable record of suppressing Islamic terrorist violence within its own borders but that has resulted in most Indonesian Islamic terrorists fleeing the country and showing up elsewhere. This approach to suppressing Islamic terrorist activity required continuous and active measures to detect and arrest Islamic terrorists. But ISIL was different, even though most Indonesian ISIL recruits also fled the country. Until recently there was no indication that something big was coming.
While the war against ISIL in Syria and Iraq was raging during 2016 Indonesian counter-terrorism forces crippled ISIL efforts to expand into Indonesia. Counter-terror forces crushed MIT (Mujahadeen Indonesia Timur, or Mujahadeen of Eastern Indonesia), the last of the older Islamic terrorist organizations still active in the country. MIT was long led by Santoso (single names are common in this region), who openly declared MIT part of ISIL in 2014. In 2016 a series of raids and arrests left Santoso dead and MIT reduced to fewer than ten active members. MIT carried out some attacks before 2017 but suffered heavy losses in the process. Since 2014 MIT concentrated most of its efforts on recruiting and setting up trained cells of terrorists in other parts of the country.
After late 2014, with the Islamic state established in eastern Syria and western Iraq Indonesia cooperated in identifying its citizens suspected of going overseas to work with Islamic terrorist organizations. Thus hundreds of Indonesians were arrested overseas (usually in Turkey) and deported to Indonesia to face prosecution or, at the very least, constant surveillance. This was because many Indonesians remembered what happened when several dozen Indonesians who went to fight in with al Qaeda in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Many of these men returned to Indonesia and formed Islamic terrorist groups that, after 2001, carried out several spectacular attacks, including one in 2002 that killed nearly 200 foreign tourists. This resulted in a major counter-terrorism campaign that eventually killed or drove into exile nearly all the active Indonesian Islamic terrorists. There was a real fear that some of those ISIL members returning from Syria will try to emulate what the Afghan veterans did. In 2015 police revealed that they were monitoring returning ISIL men and would act against any suspected of engaging in terrorist activities in Indonesia. Many arrests since then are apparently a result of that surveillance program. ISIL responded by urging members to conceal their Islamic radicalism as much as possible.
There were some forms of Islamic terrorism that were more acceptable with Indonesians and ISIL exploited that by attacking non-Moslems. That had already led to increased counter-terror activity each year on Java and Sumatra before Christmas. Police make numerous arrests and seized bombs or bomb components intended for attacks on Shia and Christian communities. Christians are ten percent of the population while Shia are less than a half percent of Indonesian Moslems while Buddhists and Hindus are about two percent. These minorities are not evenly distributed so there are areas that are all Moslem and easier for Islamic terrorist groups to recruit and survive. The Christian islands used to be almost entirely Christian, but since the 1980s the government has encouraged (with laws, money and land) Moslems from overpopulated areas to move to less populated Christian territories. This has created frictions on islands like Sulawesi that are not entirely religious. Islamic terrorist groups began forming in the late 1990s and concentrated their attacks on non-Moslems, both local and foreign (tourists). Since 2013 small ISIL type (or affiliated) groups gave been appearing and single out Shia Moslems as well as Christians and other non-Moslems (or Moslem sects ISIL does not approve of). Islamic conservatives in the government (especially parliament and the judicial system) deliberately target Christians by accusing them of anti-Islamic acts. These accusations are almost always false but because of the way politics works in democracies with a Moslem majority, such accusations mobilize many Moslems who are willing to demonstrate, often violently, in support of defending Islam.
That explains why Islamic terrorism continues to survive in Indonesia. The government does not want to offend the many Islamic conservatives out there. The Islamic conservative politicians use religion as a tool to get what they want, which often has nothing to do with religion or the infidel (non-Moslem) threat. Islamic political parties are unable to gain wide popularity but together they have gained control over 10-20 percent of the seats in parliament. The percentage varies depending on how active Islamic terrorists have been.
But there is something else unique about Indonesia, the nation with the largest Moslem population in the world. Islam is not the state religion of Indonesia as it is in most other Moslem majority nations. Indonesia officially recognizes five religions; Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The founders of the Indonesian state (formerly a Dutch colonial government) found the Dutch approach to religion (deliberately allowing multiple religions and prohibiting religion based persecution) could work in Indonesia because the Dutch had demonstrated that. So Islamic political parties face a formidable number of constitutional and cultural challenges to gaining control of the government. Most Indonesians are fine with letting the Islamic parties operate openly as long as they observe the laws and constitution. So far that has worked.
The recent ISIL attacks, especially those using young children, puts the Islamic politicians on the defensive for a while. The major Islamic party, the PKS (Prosperous Justice Party) has, since 2004, managed attract and keep about eight million voters. The next elections are in 2019 PKS is expected to once more escape any blowback from the outbreak of ISIL violence. While PKS is led by Moslem clerics it has managed to hold onto voters by playing down Islamic lifestyle rules (over blasphemy and vaccines) and concentrating on reducing corruption and promoting what Westerners would see as a socialist economic platform. PKS also encourages more foreign investment and economic expansion. Yet lurking in the background is the fact that Islamic scripture (depending on who is interpreting it) approves of and encourages violence against non-Moslems and Moslem heretics. Islam is the only major religion to be burdened by that and it is a persistent problem that no one has found a permanent fix for. Indonesia, however, is the only Moslem majority nation that deliberately prohibits Islam from dominating the nation. No Indonesian ruler ever invoked defending Islam to justify his rule. Indonesia does allow a lot of experimentation. For example, the province of Aceh (the first part of Indonesia to be converted to Islam centuries ago) was allowed to implement Islamic law as part of a deal to end a separatist rebellion. Aceh is still subject to federal laws and the use of Islamic (sharia) law does not appear to have made life better for the people of Aceh. Most Indonesians expect Islamic terrorism to be similarly tamed. So far Islamic terrorism is still around, regenerating each time it is crushed.
The Port of Tauranga, New Zealand's busiest port, is yet to achieve full Resource Management Act compliance 27 years after the Act came into law, but has never been fined or prosecuted for the delay.
The port, which is 54 per cent owned by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has failed three attempts to obtain a consent for its stormwater system on its Mount Maunganui wharves since the RMA came into effect in 1991.
While the BoPRC said it was "unacceptable in terms of time frame in anyone's universe", it has never fined or prosecuted the port for the lengthy delay.
"There seems to have been a series of holdups really, there's no one thing that's caused a hold up of that time," Eddie Grogan, Bay of Plenty Regional Council's principal advisor for regulatory services, told Checkpoint.
The first stormwater consent application was lodged in 1998 but stalled, the council said, because the port was slow in providing requested information.
An attempt was then made to "couple" the port's consent with one for the Tauranga City Council, but that also failed because TCC and the Port could not agree.
"It was mostly about how to attribute an effect to a particular contributor," says Eddie.
In other words, who is liable for what pollution - the stormwater pipes that run under the Port's Mount Maunganui wharves start further inland and pick up stormwater from other industrial sites first.
The consent was "uncoupled" and the council realised Beca, who was contracted to do the original 1998 consent, lost the paperwork.
"A mistake was made [by council] to not have a backup, and then a whole lot of information was actually lost, in terms of the progress, and so we had to start again, effectively," says Eddie.
Then a third application, lodged in 2013, stalled for five years due to consultation, the port says.
Asked if five years was too long for that consultation, Eddie says: "Yes, it is."
The fourth attempt is now up for submissions from the TCC and local iwi, after going to an independent commissioner, but the port is unlikely to achieve compliance this year.
"Something as big and complex as this often does go to the Environment Court, and if that were to occur it could be more than a year until you get a hearing date, get the information in front of a judge, and get a final decision," says Eddie.
The port declined repeated invitations to be interviewed by Checkpoint.
It says for legal reasons it would be interviewed over the phone, but not on camera, and refused to elaborate as to what those legal reasons were.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the port says: "We totally agree that it is unacceptable that it has taken this long and it is very frustrating for all involved.
"There are multiple reasons why the consent has not been processed yet. They include the complexities of the application, the need to consult in depth with local iwi and the vagaries of the Resource Management Act.
"However, the delays have not prevented the Port's ongoing investment in stormwater management. We are pleased that independent research is of the view that water quality in the harbour is good."
-RNZ
A Bay of Plenty road-safety group says a six-month delay on upgrading New Zealands deadliest highway is unacceptable and will cost more lives.
The statement was made following Transport Minister Phil Twyfords announcement of a $665 million investment into BOP roads.
It says a six-month delay on upgrading New Zealands deadliest highway is unacceptable and will cost more lives.
While the Governments focus on road safety has been welcomed by the Fix the BLOODY Road campaign, the group fears that without urgent action - SH2 between Waihi and Tauranga will claim more lives.
Between 2012 and 2016 there were 18 deaths between Tauranga and Katikati. In the past nine months there have been four more fatalities, including the most recent in Te Puna earlier this month, says group spokesperson Andrew Hollis.
We know what needs to happen to make this road safer. We need a reduced speed limit as a matter of extreme urgency, we need wider shoulders and median and side barriers in the highest-risk locations. People make mistakes, but they should not have to die for them on 2-star safety rated highways.
Andrew says successive governments have passed the buck on this busy road, instead of spending the bucks.
He says every six months of delay, three more people are killed here - whether their driving caused a crash or not.
You are eight times more likely to die in the Apata, or Te Puna stretches of SH2 than on the average highway. This is hard evidence.
This is a tragically missed opportunity to reassure residents of the Western Bay of Plenty that their lives matter.
The groups advisor Matthew Farrell says SH2 carries 30,000 vehicles per day on one lane in each direction between the countrys largest city and busiest port.
"This is far higher than the safe operational capacity for a rural corridor, with so many local roads and driveways.
Matthew says the road is the only option through the area locally, regionally and nationally including freight, commuters, school buses and business traffic.
Traffic almost tripled in the last 20 years. Peak flows are now up to 1,500 vehicles per hour on one lane. Its only getting worse as time passes.
This is not a political agenda. It does not matter what colour the government of the day is. This is a heartfelt plea for a fast-track review, a decision.
Much of this land is owned by NZTA, and the previous government allocated funding for the TNL to Te Puna in 2016, says Andrew
NZTA subsequently planned to extend this four-lane road to Omokoroa. If safety is truly this governments top priority, then the deadliest road should have been the highest priority for a decision on investment, rather than the lowest priority behind all the projects announced today.
Supporters of the Fix the Bloody Road campaign made more than 2000 submissions to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in April including a 7000 signature petition and accounted for a substantial number of the record 900 submissions to the Government Policy Statement in May.
The group is planning a meeting of campaign supporters on Sunday September 9 to reveal plans for protest action.
Band-Aid solution from Tinkering Twyford - Muller
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller has slammed Transport Minister Phil Twyford and the Labour/New Zealand First Coalition Government for failing to deliver for Bay of Plenty regional roads.
The Government is spending a record $16.9 billion on transport, allegedly with a focus on safety, yet they couldnt find any money for New Zealands deadliest stretch of State Highway between Tauranga and Katikati, says Todd.
Put bluntly, there are cuts to regional roads and a boost for Twyfords Trams. He is putting trains in Auckland ahead of lives here in the Bay.
Its all good and well to talk about safety improvements for SH2, but what has been put on the table, $65 million, amounts to nothing more than tinkering around the edges.
Todd says this is a drop in the bucket.
Our community has been talking about this road for over 25 years, National got it to the tendering stage, and now the Government have pulled the rug out from under our feet.
This almost feels like he ignores this region out of spite.
Mr Twyford argues the Government is making safety a priority but the best thing the Government could do to enhance safety on our most dangerous roads is to continue with the Roads of National Significance programme which is resulting in some of our safest roads.
Todd says National was committed to upgrading the entire stretch of road as part of the Tauranga to Katikati net generation of Roads of National Significance Programme.
The Minister is claiming the TNL was promised but unfunded, when the reality is that in 2016 the National Government announced a $520m funding injection for SH2 between Tauranga and Waihi, and we were planning on doing more.
Todd says the package included:
The $286 million Tauranga Northern Link (TNL).
$85 million worth of safety improvements designed to reduce death and serious injury crashes.
Up to $150 million to provide for future traffic growth, paving the way for an upgrade between Omokoroa and Te Puna.
This road is in urgent need of improvement and our community cant afford to wait for a change of Government to get the job done.
The Minister would have understood how critical this investment was if he had taken the time to come and drive the road, but my invitation wasnt accepted.
DEWITT, NY - Fit Body Boot Camp, a national chain with about 400 locations across the U.S. and Canada, is opening a fitness club in early September in DeWitt.
The fitness center, which offers 30-minute high-intensity interval training classes, plans to open Sept. 8 at 3453 Erie Blvd. E. in DeWitt.
The 3,2000-square-foot space previously housed Off the Hanger bridal boutique. It is next to Plato's Closet.
This is the seventh Fit Body Boot Camp in Central New York. This club is operated by Carolyn Postell, Christian Glisson and Jon Whiteway. The three bought the territory about a year ago, and Postell said they searched for a spot for sometime beforel finding this one.
"We felt like the east side of town needed something like this,'' Postell said.
The group training classes are led by personal trainers, Postell said.
The club's grand opening will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 8, and will feature giveaways for memberships and free classes, and gift baskets from area vendors such as Plato's Closet, Syracuse Yoga and more.
Other Fit Body Boot Camp locations are in Camillus, Cicero, Liverpool, Manlius, North Syracuse and Clay/Baldwinsville.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Seven people, including three teenagers, were taken to Upstate University Hospital Thursday night after a head-on crash in Elbridge, according to New York State Police.
The crash happened at approximately 7:30 p.m. on State Route 321 in Elbridge, police said.
An investigation found that Jerry L. Sankey, 74, of Auburn, crossed from the westbound lane into the eastbound lane with his 2018 Chevrolet Cruz, police said. The Chevy Cruz hit a 2015 Chevrolet Impala head-on, police said.
Jonathan W. Gosson, 44, of Camillus, and his four passengers -- a 44-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man, a 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl -- were taken to Upstate University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
Katherine Sankey, 73, a passenger in the Chevy Cruz, was taken to the Syracuse hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
Police are still investigating the crash.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Five people were arrested and investigators found synthetic marijuana, untaxed cigarettes and cocaine during police raids near Syracuse University on Monday, according to court records.
A Syracuse police spokesman confirmed raids at Lancaster Market at 1007 Lancaster Avenue and apartment 5 of 101 Hurlburt Street, less than 2 miles from each other, were related. The spokesman declined to say how the raids were related.
Investigators planned two closely timed raids of the market, which is in the university-area neighborhood, and the apartment near Nottingham High School, the spokesman said.
They found 3,680 cigarettes with counterfeit stamps or unstamped cigarettes, cocaine in a Ziploc bag, marijuana, and 470 packets of synthetic marijuana, also called 'spike,' according to court records.
At the market, the cigarettes were split into 154 packages with counterfeit stamps and 30 without stamps, according to a felony complaint filed in City of Syracuse court. The store mixed the unlawfully stamped cigarettes with legitimate, taxed cigarettes behind the counter, court records said.
Each unlawful stamp was marked with the same number -- "H1600/00181 & 2641N/15269" -- while New York State tax stamps are marked with increasing chronological numbers, court records said.
The tax loss for New York State for those cigarettes totaled $800.40, court records said.
Anwar Alkoubah, 39, of 220 Hubbell Ave., took over the store in February of 2018, according to an amended business certificate filed in Onondaga County Court.
Alkoubah and Abdulmajeed Pady, 19, of 218 Chemung St., have been charged with 154 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, possession of unstamped or unlawfully stamped cigarettes for the purpose of sale and criminal tax fraud.
Officers raided the apartment on Hurlburt Road and a basement storage unit on Monday at 11:28 a.m., according to court records. In a kitchen cabinet, they found cocaine in a Ziploc bag and a packet of spike. They also discovered marijuana in a jacket pocket in an apartment bedroom.
The rest of the 469 packets of spike were in a basement storage unit with marijuana, court records said.
Of the 470 total packets of spike police found, 449 were labeled as Cotton Ball, 13 were labeled as Matrix and seven were labeled as Klimax, court records said. One package was red.
Cotton Ball was partially responsible for 240 spike overdoses in 12 days in New York City -- most of which happened in Brooklyn. In two weeks in July, Syracuse had approximately 85 overdoses in two weeks.
Maher Alkoubah, 22, Hany Alrobyai, 26, and Mousa Alhoshaishi, were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, two unlawful possession of marijuana violations and two possession of synthetic cannabinoids violations, court and arrest records said.
A police spokesman said Maher Alkoubah and Anwar Alkoubah know each other but didn't know whether the two are related.
On Thursday night, residents on the 1000 block of Lancaster Avenue were still unsure what happened at the store.
Shelves and goods inside Lancaster Market remained strewn on the floor. A sign telling patrons an employee will return in five minutes hung on the door.
Someone wrote in marker on the glass door, "Will not be back."
Police searched the Lancaster Market, leaving it in disarray. (Don Cazentre | Syracuse.com).
Inside the store, a crowbar could be seen on a counter and tan disposable gloves were on the floor near the entrance. Bags of chips were stripped from the shelves, some popped, and others still in tact.
While some cigarette boxes were ripped from the shelves behind the counter, others looked untouched.
At approximately 7 p.m., a woman walked up to the store with her two kids. She slid an envelope with a Hallmark card into a slit between the door and its frame, and the card dropped to the floor among the other goods that had been tossed around.
She thought the store had been robbed or ransacked as part of a hate crime, she said.
Syracuse, NY -- A former Onondaga County jail deputy today pleaded guilty to sodomizing a 12-year-old Solvay girl in 1997 after his DNA was found at the scene.
But Jack Doolittle, 54, maintained his innocence in a so-called Alford plea. Doolittle will spend 10 to 20 years in prison for the attack on the schoolgirl near Hazard Street Middle School.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio said DNA collected at the time -- which was indicted without a name -- later came back a match to Doolittle. The girl, now 31, also planned to testify if needed to at trial. And there was other physical evidence tying Doolittle to the scene.
The evidence would show that a masked Doolittle grabbed the 12-year-old girl off a path as she walked to school. He tied her up with duct tape, dragged her to a more secluded location and forced her to perform a sexual act.
The victim alleged that Doolittle pulled a gun during the assault; no mention of a gun was made during Doolittle's plea today. It's unclear if a gun was used and if so, if it was a service weapon.
The Solvay sex assault case made headlines when the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office indicted the perpetrator's DNA in 2002 without knowing who that person was.
Doolittle, who worked as a jail deputy from 1988 to 2002, was later arrested for a drug crime. Upon his conviction in 2017, he was required to provide a sample of DNA.
That matched the sample taken from the scene at the time, authorities announced in April of this year. Doolittle was 9.77 quadrillion times more likely to be the culprit than anyone else, according to the analysis used in DNA matching.
But Doolittle had balked at a quick plea. Defense lawyers Kim Zimmer and Ed Klein hired their own DNA expert and investigated the physical evidence themselves.
Zimmer said today that she had no defense to the DNA evidence. But Doolittle still refused to confess to the crime.
Things became more complicated because prosecutors believed they could prove two separate sex acts, doubling Doolittle's potential sentence if convicted after trial.
But the DNA evidence only linked Doolittle to one act. That was punishable by up to 12 1/2 to 25 years in prison.
Trunfio, the prosecutor, agreed to a plea of 10 to 20 years to spare the victim the need to testify at trial.
"We're talking about a young woman whose life has been thrown into a whirlwind in April of this year," Trunfio said, referring to the day Doolittle was arrested for the cold-case assault.
Doolittle only took today's plea because he didn't have to admit to the crime. Instead, he admitted that prosecutors had enough evidence at trial to convict him.
Doolittle confirmed to a judge that he pleaded guilty out of fear for what the prison sentence might be after trial.
Doolittle, who remains jailed, will be sentenced next month.
Syracuse, NY -- The New York Court of Appeals will hear arguments in Robert Neulander's murder appeal, the state's highest court has decided.
Neulander, 66, is a free man after a Rochester appellate court narrowly overturned his 2015 conviction in his wife's 2012 death.
The verdict against the former DeWitt doctor was reversed based upon juror misconduct. The Rochester court ruled that biased text messages received by one juror, who then deleted and lied about them, was enough to warrant a new trial.
Leslie Neulander
But Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick vowed to ask the state's high court to weigh in.
And the seven-member Albany court will hear the case, according to court records. One of the dissenting judges in Rochester, Nancy Smith, allowed the DA to appeal to the state's high court, Fitzpatrick said.
It'll be months before attorneys appear in Albany to argue Neulander's case: the initial paperwork isn't due until Oct. 9, with additional filing dates stretching into mid-December.
Most of the arguments will be laid out in paperwork prior to in-person arguments before the high court.
Neulander's defense lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, has argued that the juror's conduct did not ensure the former obstetrician-gynecologist got a fair trial. Neulander said his wife died from a slip and fall in the shower.
Juror Johnna Lorraine
But Fitzpatrick has argued that the juror did not exhibit any bias, despite getting inappropriate text messages from her father and friends. One key text came from juror Johnna Lorraine's father: "Make sure he's guilty!"
Fitzpatrick, who argued Neulander murdered his wife and staged a cover-up, has said that he was "stunned" by the reversal.
It's unclear when Neulander's case will be heard in court. He does not have to attend, but as a free man, he can show up if he wishes.
Neulander was released on $1 million bail from the Onondaga County Justice Center jail in mid-July.
The Albany court could either agree with the Rochester court and reverse the conviction, leading to a new trial. Or it could reinstate the conviction, with a sentence of 20 years to life in state prison.
An Oswego funeral director accused of having a large cache of child pornography once served as a teacher.
Andrew Dowdle was the fourth-grade teacher more than a decade ago at Trinity Catholic Elementary School in Oswego, said Principal Barbara Sugar. At the time of his arrest in July, Dowdle was working as a funeral home director at Dowdle Funeral Home.
Trinity officials have not been contacted by police about Dowdle, Sugar said.
Dowdle was arrested on July 27 after federal investigators searched his home on 4th Street and found pornographic videos of girls between the ages of 12 and 17 on his computer, according to a criminal complaint filed by an FBI agent. The 46-year-old man was charged with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
FBI agents from Philadelphia found Dowdle while investigating a group that shared child porn on an Internet forum.
Dowdle is facing a new charge: conspiracy to advertise child pornography.
Last week, Dowdle and four other men were indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania. The men have been accused of working together to share and seek child porn.
Dowdle is being held at a federal detention center in Philadelphia, according to federal records.
Cyrell Haygood
Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man headed for trial in a June 2017 murder is accused of shooting the member of a rival gang.
But Cyrell Haygood says he didn't kill George Booker on East Kennedy Street. And his lawyer, Ed Klein, protested the implication that his client was in a gang.
Calling someone a gang member is considered highly prejudicial before a jury, and is only allowed in cases in which there's proof of gang affiliation and it's important to the prosecution's case.
In this case, prosecutor Jordan McNamara asserted that Haygood killed Booker simply because they were in rival gangs.
But Klein suggested that prosecutors wanted to call Haygood a gang member simply because they didn't have any other motive for the crime.
"There's nothing more prejudicial than calling someone a gang member in a shooting," Klein argued in court.
In fact, Haygood had no connection to Booker at all, the defense lawyer said. There's no conclusive proof that Haygood was a member of any gang, he added.
McNamara disagreed, saying that there was "a lot of gang activity going on when the shooting happened."
State Supreme Court Justice Gordon Cuffy said the issue warranted a hearing. He emphasized that he needed to be convinced that gang affiliation would be admissible at trial.
Haygood is going to trial Oct. 22. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Tops supermarket that is slated to close in Syracuse's Valley Plaza benefited from nearly $850,000 in state and local government incentives when it opened in 2012.
Empire State Development, the state's economic development office, gave Tops a $275,000 grant to open the store in a low-income South Side neighborhood that community leaders said was lacking full-service grocery stores.
At the same time, the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency approved $572,378 in property tax, sales tax and mortgage recording tax exemptions that the Tops store indirectly benefited from.
A Tops official said the benefits came with no obligation to keep the store open.
The tax exemptions flowed to the plaza's owner, 2468 Group Inc., an affiliate of Buffalo developer Carl Paladino's Ellicott Development Co., to offset increases in the plaza's tax bill that would have resulted from the Tops store, which became the plaza's anchor, and renovations to other parts of the shopping center. Ellicott Development officials said the deal was necessary to bring Tops to the plaza.
At the time, city officials and community organizers described the neighborhood around the store as a "food desert" because of a lack of full-service grocery stores within walking distance. Valley Plaza is in a low-income neighborhood at 4141 S. Salina St.
P&C operated a supermarket in the plaza until 2009. When it closed, community leaders said neighborhood residents who did not have cars had no full-service grocery stores to shop at.
Tops filled that need when it opened its 36,000-square-foot store in October 2012 in the space formerly occupied by P&C. The store employs 57 people.
But on Thursday, Williamsville-based Tops Markets announced that the store is among 10 "underperforming" supermarkets around New York that it will close by the end of November as part of its financial restructuring. Tops filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Code on Feb. 21, reporting more than $720 million in debt.
Shoppers browse the produce section of the Tops supermarket in Valley Plaza in Syracuse. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)
State and city officials said Thursday they were checking the grant and tax agreements to determine what, if any, obligations Tops had regarding the operation of the store.
Kathy Romanowski-Sautter, a spokesperson for the supermarket chain, said the grant did not contain any requirement that the company keep the store open for a specified period. And she said Tops had no obligations related to the tax exemptions because they were part of an agreement between the industrial development agency and the plaza's owner.
When it announced plans to open a store in Valley Plaza, Tops said it intended to invest $1.1 million to renovate the former P&C store and $1.8 million to equip its store. In addition, it said it anticipated receiving a grant from the state Healthy Food Healthy Communities Fund, according to a city document. However, the grant was not initially approved, putting the project in jeopardy, according to the document.
The company then asked the industrial development agency to provide a grant for the store. The agency in turn approached Empire State Development and requested that $275,000 from the unused portion of a $2 million Upstate City-by-City grant from the state be reallocated to Tops. Empire State Development agreed to the reallocation.
According to a description of the project on file with Empire State Development, Tops was to be paid the $275,000 after showing proof that it had spent $1.5 million on "build-out expenses, furniture and fixtures, and machinery and equipment" for the store. The document says nothing about requiring the store to remain open for any period.
It's not certain the neighborhood could still be considered a food desert, if it ever actually was. Price Rite, a supermarket chain known for its low prices, opened a store on South Avenue 2.5 miles to the north in April 2017 -- with the help of $2.4 million in government grants and tax exemptions.
Rich Puchalski, executive director of Syracuse United Neighbors, said he has seen very few customers in the Tops store when he has visited it. He said he suspects competition from the new Price Rite, as well as the Green Hills Farms store two miles down the road and Price Chopper and Wegmans stores elsewhere in the city doomed the Tops.
"It's a beautiful store," he said "The cleanliness, the appearance, they've got a beautiful store. It's too bad. I just think people have other options."
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said city officials reached out to Tops prior to the company's announcement Thursday in hopes of keeping the store open.
"Although Tops made the decision to close one location inside city limits ... the city and the landlord at that location are in discussions regarding attracting another use at that site," he said in a statement. "While we regret losing any quality food suppliers, the city is pleased its proactive work with Tops helped to prevent the inclusion of any other locations inside the city on the store closure list."
Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
In brief: As doctors across the US struggle to deal with ever-expanding workloads, researchers have looked to technology to ease the burden, and a solution -- albeit a partial one -- may have been found. MIT researchers have trained an AI to detect depression in patients through normal conversation, rather than pointed mental health-related questions.
It isn't just traditional medical doctors that might have their jobs replaced by machines in the future - robots could be gunning for psychologists and other mental health practitioners as well.
While that's obviously an exaggeration, a recent post from MIT's News blog suggests artificial intelligence might be capable of diagnosing depression.
Usually, mental health experts make their depression diagnosis based on a patient's answers to a series of personal questions, which often relate to the individual's thoughts, life experiences, and overall mood.
MIT researchers used a neural-network model to diagnose depression in a different, potentially more effective way. Rather than ask patients depression-related questions, patients were engaged in more normal conversations.
Instead of relying on direct answers to questions, the AI looks for "speech patterns indicative of depression," according to MIT.
"The first hints we have that a person is happy, excited, sad, or has some serious cognitive condition, such as depression, is through their speech," said researcher Tuka Alhanai. "If you want to deploy [depression-detection] models in [a] scalable way You want to deploy it in any regular conversation and have the model pick up, from the natural interaction, the state of the individual."
The AI in question was fed "sequences" of both audio and text data, allowing it to look for words -- such as "sad," "low," or "down" -- and audio queues that point towards a depression diagnosis.
Of course, the model wouldn't be very useful if it instantly diagnosed somebody with depression merely for saying a few choice words in a certain way. Natural conversations ebb and flow between joy and sadness quite often; all it takes is a bad memory for an individual's behavior to change temporarily.
That's why MIT's AI model looks at audio and text data from dozens of individuals, depressed or otherwise. To date, MIT says researchers have managed to test their model across "142 interactions," which consist of text, audio, and even video interviews with patients.
As impressive as this information is, don't expect it to replace your local therapist anytime soon. The technology is currently in its infancy, and though AI can grow fast, there will undoubtedly be many legal and ethical hurdles for researchers to overcome before it becomes common in mainstream medicine.
Ultima Thule is more than 100 million miles away from Earth. Although it might not look like anything from here, NASA's New Horizons proves otherwise.
The New Horizons became the first spacecraft to manage a flyby in Pluto in July 2015. Since then, its mission has been prolonged so it could explore the outer Solar System even more. The probe delivered the first glimpse of Ultima Thule on Aug. 16. The 48 images were transmitted through NASA's Deep Space Network.
Record-Breaking Images
At around 6 billion kilometers away from the planet, the photos serve as the farthest images from the Sun ever captured. It took the record from Voyager 1 that captured the photographs of the Earth and other neighboring planets from almost the same distance 28 years ago.
Furthermore, the Ultima flyby will be the farthest exploration of any part in space. This will eventually break the old record of New Horizons at Pluto in 2015.
2014 MU69 is the official name of Ultima Thule. It is part of a field of icy detritus left over from the planets' formation billions of years ago called the Kuiper Belt. The photographs show the Ultima Thule surrounded by bright stars that are scattered around the landscape.
"It really is like finding a needle in a haystack. In these first images, Ultima appears only as a bump on the side of a background star that's roughly 17 times brighter, but Ultima will be getting brighter - and easier to see - as the spacecraft gets closer," stated Hal Weaver, New Horizons project scientist and LORRI principal investigator, from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.
He also stated the photo is filled with bright background stars that make it immensely difficult to detect faint objects.
New Expedition
The team behind the spacecraft will use the images to serve as a guide to the New Horizons when it flies by Ultima Thule. New Horizons is expected to approach the icy world on the first day of 2019, at 12:33 a.m. ET. This will finally bring focus to Ultima Thule for the first time ever.
According to scientists, finding out more about the Ultima Thule will help them build stronger theories about how the solar system was formed. What is known about this part of space has the potential to change the view of how the solar system functions.
"We now have Ultima in our sights from much farther out than once thought possible," stated Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator.
"We've now traveled almost 90 percent of the way from Pluto to Ultima Thule, and making final preparations for the flyby this winter," said Alice Bowman, mission operations manager of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.
2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Despite making a breakthrough with its WH-1000X noise-canceling headphones, Sony hasn't taken a backseat and basked on its achievement.
Instead of resting on its laurels, Sony took its modern headphones and brought it to the next level with the 1000XM3 (Mark 3). According to Sony, the latest headphone is four times better than its predecessor, the WH-1000XM2, thanks to the key improvements that the company introduced. Potential buyers have to shell out $350 for the WH-1000XM3 when the latest product arrives in September in authorized outlets such as Best Buy and Amazon.
"We are proud to deliver the third generation of our industry-leading noise cancelling headphones," said Yang Cheng, head of video and sound at Sony Electronics. Yang said Sony's latest model will take noise canceling to the next level to enable users to listen to your favorite music without the hassle of outside noise.
Sony Boasts Of Latest Noise-Canceling Processor
Sony redesigned the headphones and equipped it with a latest new noise-canceling processor, the QN1, which performs better than the previous processor. The latest processor helps cancel out transport noise and keeps out daily background sounds, including street noise and human voices that can affect the pleasure of listening to music or watching a movie. Sony's Dual Noise Sensor technology picks up ambient noise with the help of dual microphones before sending it to the processor for automatic cancellation.
Aside from canceling outside noise, Sony's latest processor can deliver excellent sound quality through a 32-bit audio signal processing. It also produces high-resolution audio with the help of a 40 mm driver unit with a Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) diaphragm that can withstand heavy beats but can deliver a full range of frequencies up to 40kHz. This feature can allow users to listen to music as originally intended by the artist.
The latest headphones have the capacity to detect the physical situation of the user and enable it to adapt to changes. Through the Adaptive Sound Control feature of the 1000XM3, users can hear ambient sounds together with music when walking and announcements while waiting.
1000XM3 Practical And Comfortable
Aside from its features, Sony also enhanced the physical features of the 1000XM3 to make it more comfortable to use. Sony gave its new headphone a new and slimmer silhouette, deeper earcup, and thicker headband cushion for more comfort. The latest unit comes with stylish fabric case and colors that will satisfy fashion-conscious users. The headphones can be used for 30 hours even with noise canceling and Bluetooth connectivity in use. It also has a quick charging function, providing users with five hours of wireless playback in just 10 minutes of charging time.
2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
California lawmakers advanced an ambitious proposal Thursday to prevent broadband providers from hindering or manipulating access to the Internet, bringing the state closer to enacting the strongest net neutrality protections in the country.The legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would bring back Obama-era Internet rules rolled back by federal regulators this year, the latest volley cast by state leaders already feuding with the Trump administration over immigration and climate protection policies.The proposal prevents Internet service providers from blocking or slowing down websites and video streams or charging websites fees for faster speeds. But it also goes further than the old regulations and measures taken up by other states, placing new limits on certain data plans and tasking the state attorney general with investigating cases in which companies might be evading the rules.On the Assembly floor, Republicans argued that the state was going too far and would create a nationwide patchwork of state laws by treading into an area that should be reserved for the federal government.Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), a former broadcaster who owned radio stations in California and Idaho, argued that light-touch regulation helped the Internet flourish. The broad new rules, he contended, would burden companies and prevent innovation.The overreach, the going too far here, is going to be challenged in court constitutionally, and we are going to find ourselves in very uncertain territory, he said.Accusing the bills proponents of being unable to explain net neutrality, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) called the Democrats resistance to the Trump administration embarrassing.You are wading into an area that you have no business being in, she said.Supporters argued that California needed to take a stand at a time when federal officials have rolled back many consumer protections and broadband providers were willing to profit at the expense of customers and public safety.We are stepping up and filling the role that we need to fill because we cannot rely on this federal government to protect us when we need protection, Assemblyman Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) said. Senate Bill 822 cleared the Assembly with overwhelming and bipartisan support on a 61-18 vote, overcoming the first major hurdle after months of aggressive lobbying and online advocacy campaigns waged between Internet advocates and the telecom industry that have drawn national attention.The legislation moves to the state Senate, where it was pending Thursday, and lawmakers said it has a good chance to be passed.Todays vote is a huge win for Californians everywhere, Wiener said in a statement. The Internet is at the heart of 21st-century life our economy, our public safety and health systems, our democracy and we must protect it.Net neutrality proponents celebrated the bills approval in the Assembly as a victory for Internet users and small businesses, calling the protections essential to democracy and fair competition.No one wants their cable or phone company to control what they see and do on the Internet, said Evan Greer, deputy director of the tech advocacy group Fight for the Future.Telecom industry groups, including the California Cable and Telecommunications Association and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, pledged to keep fighting the legislation.The Assemblys vote today keeps the country strapped into a roller-coaster ride of state net neutrality regulations, but wont get us any closer to the stable and consistent net neutrality protections consumers deserve in the long term, said Jonathan Spalter, president and chief executive of USTelecom, a Washington-based lobby group.California is one of 29 states to consider net neutrality protections since the Federal Communications Commission voted late last year to reverse the Obama-era Internet regulations, with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Republicans calling for an end to the utility-like oversight of Internet service providers.The rules, enacted in February 2015 and ended in June, barred broadband and wireless companies such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon from selling faster delivery of some data, slowing speeds for certain content or favoring selected websites over others.Wieners Senate Bill 822 would, in effect, re-establish the same regulations. It also restricts some zero-rated data plans, or package deals that allow companies such as Verizon or Comcast to exempt some calls, texts or other content from counting against a customers data plan.An additional proposal, Senate Bill 460, by Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) would deny public contracts to companies that fail to follow the new state Internet rules. It also is expected to be taken up by the Assembly this week, though a dispute is brewing over amendments that could allow a state agency to waive the net neutrality rules in certain cases.Debate over the proposals comes as net neutrality has emerged as a rallying issue for Democrats in House races across the country.Clashes between net neutrality proponents and telecom industry lobbyists heated up again last week when Verizon was reported to have slowed the speed of the Santa Clara County Fire Departments wireless data transmission, a revelation detailed in an addendum to a federal lawsuit filed by states including California to challenge the repeal of net neutrality rules.Verizon has said the incident was due to a customer service error and has nothing to do with net neutrality.
The largest amateur boxing tournament in the country will be held in Youngsville this fall, and it could bring in much-needed revenue for the
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A conservative Republican lawmaker from Acadiana is throwing his credentials as a gun-rights champion behind a proposed constitutional amendment to require unanimous juries in all felony trials in Louisiana.
In a new political ad aimed at National Rifle Association members and other chronic conservative voters, state Rep. Blake Miguez, R-Erath, pitches Amendment No. 2, on the Nov. 6 ballot, as a chance to safeguard citizens against government intrusions on their rights.
Can't see video below? Click here.
Miguez, a 36-year-old lawmaker and champion handgun shooter, has earned an A rating from the NRA while sponsoring legislation for the gun-rights group. In the ad, he speaks to the camera while the screen cuts to him target-shooting at paper silhouettes.
Here in Louisiana we dont take our rights for granted. And no jury of our peers should be able to take those rights away from any of us if theres reasonable doubt. That means their decision should be 100 percent unanimous, Miguez says.
In a 30-second version of the spot, Miguez reels off a list of rights: to bear arms, to worship, to live free and raise our families the way we see fit rights he says are conferred by God and our Founding Fathers." The screen flashes to a church steeple, a mother playing with her baby, rippling American flags, a yellowed copy of the U.S. Constitution.
We cant take any chances when the government takes rights away, he says.
The ad is sponsored by the Louisiana Republican Judiciary PAC, which is run by Scott Wilfong, a GOP consultant based in Baton Rouge.
Wilfong said he plans to target conservative voters on social media and in mailers in northern and western Louisiana, though probably not in TV spots.
+2 Tilting the scales: What to know about Louisiana's controversial non-unanimous jury law For the last 120 years, Louisiana has had an unusual and long-standing allowance for split jury verdicts in felony cases.
The ballot measure would reverse a Jim Crow-era rule that allows Louisiana juries to return split verdicts in all serious non-capital felony trials from drug distribution to second-degree murder.
When the rule was first enshrined in the state Constitution, at a convention in 1898 that was steeped in the rhetoric of white supremacy, the required count was 9-3, for either conviction or acquittal. Delegates changed it to 10-2 at a 1973 convention, placing that requirement in a new constitution that voters ratified.
Oregon joined Louisiana in 1934, voting to allow non-unanimous verdicts in the wake of public outrage over the outcome of a high-profile murder case. The two states remain the lone exceptions to a requirement for jury unanimity in every other state and all federal courts.
Voters will be asked Nov. 6 whether they want to require unanimous verdicts in all non-capital felony trials for crimes committed on or after Jan. 1, 2019. Capital trials already require unanimous verdicts.
Groups organize in favor of amendment ending Jim Crow-era non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana An aggressive campaign is ramping up to educate Louisiana voters about a proposed constitutional amendment that will be decided this fall po
The state GOP has endorsed the proposed amendment, but Wilfong said that so far his PAC, or political action committee, is the only one spending money from the conservative side.
The PACs most recent campaign statement says it raised just $4,500 over a two-month period ending July 29. A recent fundraising effort netted about $10,000, Wilfong said, with the goal of getting the video and a little outreach out first.
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I believe in it as a libertarian-leaning conservative, Wilfong said. Freedom from government overreach is certainly a conservative ideal. A jury can come and say, 'We want your gun, your freedom, your rights, and we dont need a unanimous jury.' Thats scary.
He said the PAC may push the ad geographically on social media, if, say, theres an NRA banquet in Ruston, but the focus will be on reaching reliable conservative voters.
Wilfong predicted a slim turnout of between 20 and 25 percent for a low-temperature ballot, with only the secretary of state seat up for statewide grabs, and few galvanizing congressional contests in Louisiana to stoke heavy turnout.
Asked about Attorney General Jeff Landrys seemingly isolated public opposition to the proposed amendment, Wilfong said he counts himself a friend of the states top prosecutor. Its an issue that reasonable conservatives can disagree on, he said.
Why AG Jeff Landry favors keeping this controversial law, despite GOP supporting change Louisiana's top law enforcement official has come out against the proposal to require juries in Louisiana to reach unanimous verdicts in order
Wilfong said he first approached Miguez with the idea of an ad during a legislative hearing on the proposed amendment. Miguez, who has appeared on the History Channels Top Shot television series, is the most visible pro-gun member in the Legislature, Wilfong said.
Miguez acknowledged the strange political bedfellows that have joined in support of the proposed amendment, which was authored by Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans.
Miguez said he is friends with his ideological opposite and that Morrell's sponsorship made him take a hard look at the issue.
I have a lot of respect for his ability as a legislator. We just dont agree on much, said Miguez, an oil and gas executive who is also a lawyer.
The PAC ad is separate from a campaign recently launched by the Unanimous Jury Coalition, a collection of liberal advocacy and civil rights groups that has launched a well-funded campaign that will staff offices with field directors in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans and Shreveport.
Ben Cohen, an attorney with the Promise of Justice Initiative and a leader in the left-leaning coalition, said polling shows that conservatives and liberals alike favor the amendment more than they oppose it, but that many Louisianans are clueless about the issue.
When informed, there are majorities across political parties, across race, in support of this proposition, Cohen said.
He said he hadnt seen the Miguez ad but argued that the message of protecting liberty crosses political lines, even if some voters are less interested in the split-verdict laws racist origins.
Its not a surprise people who care about the Second Amendment also care about the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to a fair trial, Cohen said. I start with the history focusing on 1876 (the end of Reconstruction). They start on the history beginning in 1776. This speaks to everyone.
The Rev. Gene Mills of the Louisiana Family Forum said this week that the influential conservative Christian group would do its part to educate voters in support of the amendment.
Ed Tarpley, a Republican former Grant Parish district attorney who has championed the idea of requiring unanimous verdicts, said the different political bents aligning in favor of the amendment are clearly on the same page here in their efforts to reach people of different political viewpoints.
Everybodys concerned about educating the public on what Amendment 2 is about, Tarpley said.
State and federal officials have reached agreement on plans for Louisiana to borrow up to $650 million to widen Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge and three other projects, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Friday.
Shawn Wilson, secretary for the state Department of Transportation and Development, and Wes Bollinger, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration Division, signed a memorandum of agreement.
The arrangement, which has been used in other states, is the first of its kind in Louisiana.
It signifies the state's commitment to secure funding for the I-10 expansion, improved access to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and a new path to Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City from I-20.
+9 Thoughts on I-10 widening plan? Some support it; others worry about 'impact' Anxious residents got their first detailed look Tuesday night at state plans to widen Interstate 10 between the Mississippi River bridge and t
The money could also provide up to 10 percent of the funding for the new Belle Chasse tunnel and movable bridge.
Gov. Edwards: Louisiana lands major aid for new Belle Chasse tunnel, bridge The state of Louisiana is receiving $45 million from the federal government to help replace the Belle Chasse tunnel and movable bridge, Gov. J
"The $14 billion backlog of infrastructure projects in our state dictates that we do something both effective and creative in order to meet our needs, and while bonding federal funds for these critical projects was not my administration's first choice, it is an opportunity for us to move forward," Edwards said in a statement.
The federal bonds are called Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle Bonds, or GARVEE bonds.
The state plans to use about $67 million yearly of the roughly $780 million per year it receives from the federal government for state projects to pay off the bonds in 12 years.
Wilson said the memorandum of agreement spells out how the state plans to use the revenue.
All four projects are included in the document.
The state is relying on GARVEE bonds to accelerate work that would otherwise remain on the drawing boards.
"The GARVEE bonds allow us to build these projects that have been discussed for decades but have never been constructed because of the lack of resources," Wilson said in a statement included in the announcement.
A bid last year by the Edwards administration to boost the state gasoline tax by 17 cents per gallon, and raise $510 million per year, died in the Legislature.
Bollinger said, "GARVEE bonds are a tool that provide flexibility to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in the delivery of projects in their federal aid highway program to meet their goals and priorities."
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The three major projects are set to win environmental clearance a key step in any transportation project by the end of the year.
The New Orleans and Bossier City plans are to be done using a method called design/build.
That process is supposed to speed the work by using a joint team of highway designers and builders rather than handling those steps separately.
The New Orleans work will include a flyover around Loyola Drive and I-10 to improve access to the new terminal.
Motorists using the flyover will be able to avoid three stoplights at the Loyola exit before getting to the terminal.
How the I-10 expansion will be handled has not been decided.
The I-10 work is the only one of the three key plans that has sparked controversy.
It would add a new lane in each direction for much of the 3 1/2 mile corridor between the Mississippi River bridge and the I-10/12 split.
Exactly how much depends on how far the $360 million goes.
DOTD just finished three nights of public meetings on the plan this week, which DOTD officials said attracted more than 500 citizens.
While the agreement with federal officials allows the state access to up to $650 million, state officials have said they plan to limit spending to $600 million.
The State Bond Commission is set to select an underwriter for the projects in late September.
That issue has sparked controversy at the commission, which voted to eliminate two major banks from consideration for the bonds because of their stance on gun rights.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup were tossed from the list of those to be considered.
Wilson has said he does not expect the action to have a major impact on construction plans.
Property owners seeking to annex three acres into Gonzales werent at Monday nights meeting when the City Council considered looking at the issue, but three residents opposed to the idea were.
Property owner Dempsey Pendarvis is asking the city to annex three acres of undeveloped land at the corner of La. 44 and La. 941, across from the 340-acre site that will be developed into a mixed-use community in Gonzales called Conway Plantation.
Everything south of La. 941 is green, and its declared conservation, said resident John Part, referring to the parish residential zoning in that area, which mandates one-acre lots.
If annexed into the city, the property would automatically be zoned for the citys largest residential lot size, with 15,000-square-foot lots, Part noted, which is a big difference from the conservation zoning.
I think if you would annex this into the city, it would just be a matter of timing before other zoning was sought, Part said.
There would be standing room only in here if that happened, he said.
At the June 22 City Council meeting, Pendarvis brought up the issue of annexing his property into the city and said that, if it came about, it would possibly be the location of a convenience store with an area in the back for 18-wheelers to fuel up.
Ironically, theres no place in the city for a big truck to stop and get fuel, Pendarvis said then.
Pendarvis owns a portion of the three acres, and his daughter-in-law Rachel Hodgeson owns the remainder.
Part of the property, he said, would also be taken up with a roundabout the Department of Transportation has studied to alleviate the traffic thats expected to grow, with the coming of Conway Plantation, on the heavily traveled La. 44.
It will be a highly trafficked commercial corner, Pendarvis said three weeks ago. The City Council attorney asked at that time for updated information on the property.
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Neither Pendarvis nor his daughter-in-law were at Monday nights meeting.
Parish resident Theresa Robert said, La. 941 east, for miles, is residential.
Please dont even consider this. We know he will ask for commercial zoning later, Robert said.
A third resident, Kathryn Goppelt, also urged the City Council not to annex the property.
She noted that several pipelines run under La. 941, which would make putting in infrastructure difficult and expensive.
You will be responsible for providing services for that property, she said. It does not currently have water and sewer.
After the three residents spoke, Councilman Terance Irvin moved that the city table the introduction of the issue.
If the council takes it up in the future, there would still be a period of public notice before the council could vote on the annexation.
If the council would approve the annexation, it would go next to the federal Justice Department for approval, regarding its effect on voting districts.
Pendarvis had initially made such a request to the Gonzales City Council in December 2013, but at its next meeting, in January 2014, the council had also voted against the matters introduction for discussion.
Editors note: The headline was changed July 14, 2015, to show that the people who spoke out at the meeting were actually Ascension Parish residents, not Gonzales residents.
Stephanie Ruscigno is losing hope.
Its been more than a year since New Orleans police say a man drove through a red light and plowed into her son as he crossed Convention Center Boulevard, leading to his death two weeks later.
Corey Johnson, 29, was cited for driving without a license and disobeying a red light, but he has not been charged in the death of 37-year-old Jason Ruscigno.
There are factors that made Stephanie Ruscigno believe authorities would be eager to prosecute Johnson. She and an attorney working with her said they found evidence the 2018 BMW 430i that struck Jason on Aug. 1, 2017, had been rented in Houston by a woman using a false name.
One of Johnsons passengers, Brandon Alexander, was out on bail following arrests on allegations he had a hand in a killing less than three months earlier and also separately beat up two women on the north shore. The murder charge against him is still pending.
That mans brother, Whitney Alexander, was also in the car and was caught on a police officers body-worn camera warning a neutral witness whom the cop was interviewing to be quiet and let the (nearby traffic or surveillance) cameras do the talking.
But Orleans Parish District Attorneys Office spokesman Ken Daley said the case involving Johnson and the Ruscignos remains under review by prosecutors. The agency hasnt ruled out pursuing a charge against Johnson in Jason Ruscignos death but it also hasnt ruled out classifying it as nothing more than a tragic accident, Daley said last week.
Stephanie Ruscigno finds little comfort in that stance.
My sons life was more valuable than running a red light, she said after coming to New Orleans recently to meet with prosecutors. Its not taken seriously. I want it to be taken seriously.
Ruscigno, who served in the Army, said she and her son came to New Orleans from Yuba City, California, last summer to attend a disabled military veterans convention. Her son was in the Julia Street crosswalk when Johnson, heading downriver in the left traffic lane on Convention Center Boulevard, barreled into Jason Ruscigno, in plain view of multiple people.
A policeman responding to the crash found Ruscigno lying on the street in front of a Riverwalk surface parking lot that Johnson had pulled into in the silver BMW its windshield now cracked.
Jason Ruscigno had a pool of blood under his head. He was breathing, but he didnt respond when spoken to by Officer Alfred Beechem or two passers-by tending to him, and Emergency Medical Services took him to University Medical Center.
Brandon Alexander, whos awaiting trial on a murder charge along with another man in the May 15, 2017, shooting death of Dwayne Hitchens Jr., said little to Beechem.
Johnson and Whitney Alexander, 31, soon told essentially the same story to Beechem, whose body-worn camera was rolling for the duration of the initial investigation. They said the traffic light was yellow as Johnson crossed Julia and as Ruscigno suddenly appeared in the way.
It was a situation to where he was trying to beat the yellow light across the street, and it wasnt all the way red yet, said Alexander, who like his two companions gave his name to the officer but claimed to not have an ID or drivers license on him.
So when he was coming, the man kind of forced his way across and jumped a little, thinking I guess he could jump over the (expletive) car, Whitney Alexander said.
They said they had borrowed the car from a friend in Houston, where Alexander lived.
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But three men visiting from South Carolina, who saw the crash as they left a nearby restaurant, disputed that account.
They recalled the light on Convention Center Boulevard was red for vehicles. They entered the crosswalk on Julia behind Ruscigno, after being given the "Walk" sign, when they said the BMW blew through the light and hit the pedestrian.
From our perspective, he ran that light, one of the men said of Johnson, the driver.
Right then, Whitney Alexander, who had gotten within earshot, told the witness, Let the cameras do the talking, bruh. The officer ordered Alexander to be quiet.
Alexander later apologetically explained, I hate it when people do that, bruh, straight go against you when he wasnt even really right there. I told him let the camera do the work.
Alexander later said he wasnt even concerned about who was at fault. I just want to make sure this man is all right, said Alexander, before asking for Ruscignos name and expressing his desire to help his family.
Beechem declined to give the men Ruscignos name. He explained he needed to take Johnson to jail because his records showed it was at least the second time he had been caught driving without a license. Beechem also cited him for running a red light.
You got a big bill to pay, Whitney Alexander said to Johnson before he was taken away. Were gonna pay his bill and your bill. ... Aint no questions asked about that.
Johnson, of Bossier City, later bailed out of jail.
Ruscigno died 15 days after the crash.
His mother filed a wrongful death suit against Johnson and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, accusing the company of renting the BMW to an unidentified woman who used a fake drivers license and credit card and then gave the vehicle to Johnson.
That meant Enterprise had negligently entrusted the BMW to a woman who was not competent to drive, said a lawsuit prepared by Metairie attorney Trey Glorioso.
Court records show the case against the company was eventually settled for terms that have not been disclosed.
Stephanie Ruscigno said she is far from satisfied with the outcome so far. She said the crash killed her son, who had a passion for invention ranging from techniques to make food smokers work faster to unexpectedly tasty snacks. Her favorites involved taking fresh peach slices and making them taste like popcorn crisps.
It doesnt sound like its really good, but oh my God, it was, she said.
For now, all she has are his last words, which she said were contained in a letter he gave her shortly before his death.
He told me he didnt want me to ever be alone, Ruscigno said. He told me he loved me.
Most public school parents are familiar with the routine: Their child takes a standardized test in the spring, and in the summer, the state releases the overall scores.
This year, however, parents are seeing students' academic performance expressed in a whole different way. Not only are students getting notice of their LEAP test scores, but they are being assigned a growth score, which essentially compares LEAP scores from 2017 to 2018. The idea is to show parents and educators just how much each student has improved over the school year.
Teachers, principals and school system leaders are working very hard to dig into this data," Assistant State Education Superintendent Jessica Baghian said this week. "It tells us where were making the right amount of progress for kids and where theres more work to do.
Those growth scores, long sought by many school leaders, were released this week for the first time by the Louisiana Department of Education, and the news is less than rosy. Fewer than half of public school students in the New Orleans metro area are showing satisfactory academic growth.
Annual LEAP scores were also released this week, and they show metro area students are still struggling to master key math, reading and writing skills.
Years ago, fourth and eighth grade students took "high stakes" tests to determine whether they got promoted from one grade to another, but that changed when the state adopted Common Core standards. Now the tests, called LEAP 2025, are given every year to students in grades 3-12, measuring the students' performance in English and language arts, math, science and social studies.
The tests have five possible score levels: advanced, mastery, basic, approaching basic and unsatisfactory. Students who score at mastery and above a minimum score of 750 out of 850 possible points are considered proficient, meaning they are ready for the next grade level.
The state also uses these scores to help determine which schools and school systems need intervention to better encourage high student achievement.
When school letter grades are released later this year, the new growth scores will account for 25 percent of an elementary school's letter grade and 12.5 percent for high schools. The actual test scores will account for the remaining 75 percent for elementary schools. High school performance scores will be calculated using other benchmarks as well, including graduation rates and ACT scores.
The schools are graded on a 0-150 point scale and receive letter grades of A through F.
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This year, it will be harder for schools to get an A because students will have to score higher on tests than in years past to be considered on grade level. And schools and districts that are struggling will be given the label urgent intervention needed on school report cards.
The changes are all part of Louisiana's controversial plan to revamp public schools an initiative sparked by the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act. The federal law replaced No Child Left Behind and charged states to come up with new policies for helping struggling students.
Before, students were measured against a minimum expectation of getting a "basic" score on standardized tests. Under the changes, by 2025 state officials will dole out grades of A only to schools whose students are fully mastering key concepts and skills in language arts and math.
According to the growth scores released this week, 48 percent of students statewide showed "top growth" for English and language arts and 43 percent for math.
Fifty-one percent of students tested in St. Bernard Parish achieved that growth in English, while 42 percent did in math.
Orleans Parish also fared slightly better than the state average, with 48 percent showing top growth for English and 46 percent in math.
Students in St. John the Baptist Parish were exactly on par with state averages, while students in St. Tammany, Jefferson, St. Charles and Plaquemines parishes showed slightly slower growth.
Generally, the percentage of students showing top growth toward mastering English and math skills was higher than the percentage of students who were already at mastery and above a data set the state also released Wednesday.
Officials also found other trends when examining the data. Students on average are growing at a faster pace in English than in math, and students who start out at "basic" are showing a faster rate of growth than students who start out in any of the other levels.
This article was updated to correct the spelling of Jessica Baghian's name.
New NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue has lifted the expected cost of the network rollout to $51 billion, with the infrastructure giant planning to raise an extra $2 billion from private sources around 2020.
NBN Cos funding was previously expected to peak at $49 billion, with a public equity funding commitment of $29.5 billion and a commonwealth loan facility of up to $19.5 billion. Around half the new money will go towards unexpected costs relating to technical issues with its hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) network late last year, price cuts and network upgrades, while the other $1 billion will be directed to a contingency fund.
NBN Co's new chief executive Stephen Rue said the new expected peak cost of the network would be $51 billion. Credit:Peter Braig
NBN Co in November "paused" connections to the NBN via pay-TV cables while it addressed dropouts being experienced by a minority of the 370,000 customers already connected. About 3 million premises will be connected using HFC when the rollout is complete. This delay of several months cost NBN Co about $700 million, with additional optimisation expenses on the HFC network totalling $200 million.
A further $700 million was due to a recent wholesale pricing change, designed to encourage Australians to pay for faster plans by reducing the cost of the 50Mbps product. This has seen the take-up of faster plans double in recent months.
Tax commissioner Chris Jordan says Labor's proposal for a new commissioner dedicated to resolving small business disputes with the ATO is "interesting" but indicated he didn't think it was necessary.
"I think it is sort of being done," he told the Vodafone National Small Business Summit in Sydney on Friday.
ATO commissioner Chris Jordan is not convinced of the need for a tax commissioner. Credit:Peter Braig
"We have facilitators, we actually have listened to people. We already have moved all of the objection processes, all of the dispute resolution and all of that work out of compliance so it is in a separate group now under Andrew Mills."
If Labor wins the election next year, it plans to install a second commissioner in the Tax Office separate from the original decision makers.
In the warehouse-sized lower level of their Melbourne studio-office, Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney show me the door. It's an old timber one that looks like it's been salvaged from a Victorian terrace house, full of character.
Enter, and there is a vestibule with more closed doors. Opening them, you enter other worlds chambers, hallways, parlours and recesses, each one plucked from a different era, with a distinct atmosphere and architectural style, art deco or federation, perhaps. They link to each other via more doorways. No wonder they've called this thing 1000 Doors.
Memories and moods will be evoked in the 1000 Doors installation. Credit:Keith Wagstaff
The first space I find is a shrill hospital corridor lit by a fierce strip of fluorescent lights, and with an electronic screech in the air. I get out fast, not sure if the disinfectant smell and sense of surgical threat are real or imagined. Soon, I enter what might have been a great-aunt's house, an antique musty whiff in the air. Another nook seems warm and comforting, a further suite poltergeist-infested. There are more spaces, some friendly, others not, but all of them have their own personality and power.
All of this is contained within a large temporary structure assembled inside the warehouse a room within a room. It is, though, just a prototype: the labyrinth is but a fifth of the size of the final 1000 Doors project, which will be installed at the Victorian Arts Centre forecourt for this year's Melbourne Festival.
They are just black dots on a page; signs, squiggles, curlicues and clusters that tumble and fall; a silent code that is meaningless to most.
But for pianist Ambre Hammond, a musical score is so much more; it is an alchemical formula, a profound form of communication, the secrets of which she spent her entire childhood puzzling to understand.
By the age of 12, Ambre Hammond was breaking world records with her musical prowess.
The only child of an English mother hell-bent on raising a classical prodigy, Hammond had her world built around music. Home-schooled, she spent nine hours a day at the keyboard and at night stared up at a ceiling wallpapered by her ambitious mum (who was also her teacher, despite not having much musical training herself) with quavers, semi-quavers, triplets and trills.
In 1989, at the age of 12, Hammond achieved a world record when she was awarded her Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) Associate and Licentiate Diplomas of music in the same year. At 16 she won an international piano competition and released her first CD. From there she went on to perform around the world with an array of orchestras and ensembles.
Samuel Beckett's Watt is a defiantly difficult novel. Beckett was notoriously reluctant to allow his work to be presented in any way other than as written; McGovern says he felt guilty filming Waiting for Godot, even though it was the film of a theatre production. Those three novels, on the other hand, were all first-person narratives that he felt were "crying out" to be spoken aloud. "It's a very Irish voice," he says. "It's a very Dublin voice. Sometimes the little nuances are so local. I'm not saying a non-Irish person wouldn't do them brilliantly, but it is an added dimension to have an Irish voice in Beckett, I think." Watt, on the other hand, was written in the third person. It's trickier in that way. Creed questions whether we are actually watching Watt on stage or a narrator talking about Watt; the question hangs in the air. Rehearsing the text is an intriguingly meticulous process; writer and director prune and prod the text together, changing emphases and mulling over how to treat the shower of commas through the novel's text. Every word we hear is Beckett's, but favourite passages had to be jettisoned because they only made sense if you could see them; the third section of the novel, in which Watt is confined to a mental institution and the language becomes a hodge-podge of mangled and transposed words, was left out entirely.
"Because what we are doing on stage is not the book," McGovern says. "It is taken from it. One of the things I love about it is proselytising, being able to say 'this is a work very few people have read; go and read it, you will find it an amazing journey'." Before he is confined, Watt takes comfort in quantifying his surroundings. Lying in a ditch, he doesn't seem to register being wet and cold, but lists the poisonous weeds he can identify even with his face in the mud. Courting the local fishmonger in the servants' quarters, he calculates exactly how many kisses they can fit into their allotted half-hour trysts. He seems to be on the autistic spectrum. "Yes. 'Watt had watched people smile and thought he understood how it was done'," McGovern quotes. "There is that element to it. Of course, Beckett loved oddness and difference. He worked in a mental hospital himself in the '30s. A lot of his characters are outsiders; I mean, most of them are, really. In a way, even though he was the most brilliant and caring man he was kind of an outsider himself " Coming back to the piece after more than three years away feels like putting on an old overcoat, says Creed. At the same time, they are discovering it afresh. "It feels even more timely than when we first came to look at it, eight years ago," he says. "Of course, because while one of the things we do is focus intently on the material, the other thing we do is look around us. There is this sense of a world where people are displaced, this condition of looking for refuge or being on the run.
"Of course, you see it in Waiting for Godot also; one way of looking at Godot is as being about people displaced after the Second World War. I think what I am interested in with this production is not about making specific points about the present situation, but certainly freeing it up to let it resonate with the present." McGovern met Beckett six times. The master was more convivial than people assumed and, contrary to myth, happy to talk about his work to actors. "I'm just sorry I didn't ask him more questions," McGovern says with a smile. Now he can't recall what was said. "Out of a sense of loyalty, I wasn't one of those people rushing off and writing down everything. I should have! But even though he wouldn't have known, there was a sense of enjoying the moment." He no longer bothers trying to slough off the "Beckett actor" label. For one thing, he says, it has taken him all over the world; he has enjoyed many moments. "I still enjoy the work, more than ever in some ways," he says. "It's a great labour of love, so meticulously written. But you have to get away from it. If you read Beckett all the time, you'd go mad."
Carl Vine, left, and Sir Andrew Davis.
MUSIC
HOLSTS THE PLANETS
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Hamer Hall (Melbourne) and Costa Hall (Geelong), August 30-September 1
Although Sir Andrew Davis gave Holsts super-suite naming rights for his latest program with the MSO, the more interesting element of Thursday nights work was Carl Vines brand-new Symphony No. 8, The Enchanted Loom, commissioned by the orchestra from its composer-in-residence for 2018.
Each score generates pleasure in its orchestration and fluency of movement but this new construct of five unbroken movements is testament to Vines talent for shifting between weighty and gossamer-light textures with engrossing skill and theatricality.
This fresh-faced symphony takes its subtitle from Sir Charles Sherringtons metaphor for the human brain, Vine focusing his (and our) attention on its activities and potentialities.
For the past 16 years Tokyo-based Azuma Makoto has bridged the divide between traditional florist and radical installation artist. He has set fire to dahlias and gloriosa lilies, launched orchids, hydrangeas, lilies and irises into space and generally put all sorts of elaborate flower arrangements into situations you would never expect.
Two works by Makoto are included in a design exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. Design Storytellers: The Work of Broached Commissions includes a 2013 installation made up of a bonsai behind glass, a piece referencing the 19th-century Wardian case, once used to protect plant specimens transported by sea. A more recent work has cut flowers set in resin blocks. The exhibition is at NGV Australia until February 2019.
Azuma Makoto, Block flowers, set of 9 from the Broached East collection, 2018.
PLANT SALES
Spring is always a high point for flower shows and plant sales, with several happening this weekend. Bili Nursery (formerly SKINC) has a sale of native plants from 10am to 4pm today (September 1) at 525 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne. The Australian Plants Society Wilson Park Berwick group is also selling a range of Australian plants today from 9am to 3pm at Wilson Botanic Park (668 Princes Highway, Berwick).
Bruce McAvaney will no longer anchor coverage of the race that stops a nation, with the Seven Network losing rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival from 2019.
Though the Victoria Racing Club would not confirm the switch on Friday afternoon, it is understood that the four-day program at Flemington, the centrepiece of the Spring Racing Carnival, has been picked up by Network Ten.
Ten would not confirm the deal either on Friday, but Seven was less circumspect, painting the parting of the ways as one over which the network had been in complete control.
"We are proud of our award-winning racing coverage, but as we have consistently said about the economics of sports rights, the deal must make commercial sense or we will step away," a network spokesman said.
The NSW government did not guarantee James Packer's Crown Resorts and global infrastructure giant Lendlease would have uninterrupted harbour views from their Barangaroo developments, a Sydney court has heard.
Crown and Lendlease launched Supreme Court legal action against the state-run Barangaroo Delivery Authority earlier this month in a bid to protect "sight lines" from their developments, sweeping from the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House.
James Packer's Crown Resorts is suing the Barangaroo Delivery Authority in a bid to protect harbour views from his hotel and casino complex. Credit:Fairfax Media
The dispute will be heard over two days starting on October 29, Justice David Hammerschlag said on Friday.
Crown's $2.2 billion, six-star hotel, residential and casino complex project is under construction at the waterfront in Barangaroo South and is due for completion in 2021. Lendlease is building high-rise apartments in the same area as Crown.
The wife of a Gold Coast man who ran a multi-million dollar cannabis ring has been sentenced to jail on appeal for doing her husband's books, with a warrant issued for her arrest.
Sarah Hannan, wife of convicted drug trafficker Ben Hannan, will spend five months in jail after her original three-year suspended sentence was appealed by the Queensland government.
File pic: The plants were grown in underground shipping containers. Credit:Rohan Thomson
She was originally handed a suspended sentence because the judge accepted her children had health problems and needed help they wouldn't get if both parents were in jail at the same time.
Hannan was convicted of laundering about $650,000 she knew came from criminal activity by creating false invoices through the couple's legitimate business.
Joby Rowe has been jailed for nine years with a non-parole period of six years for shaking his baby daughter Alanah to death in 2015.
Rowe, 26, from Heathcote in central Victoria, was sentenced at the Supreme Court in Bendigo on Friday.
Joby Rowe arrives at court in Bendigo on Friday Credit:Darren Howe
Justice Terry Forrest described Rowe's crime as having a widespread impact for families involved, and the wider community.
The community trusts adults charged with the care of children to do so responsibly and conscientiously, he said.
A career criminal who has been an informer in three separate high-profile murder convictions could be called as a prosecution witness in another murder trial this year.
Highlighting the importance of what are colloquially known as "snitches" to police and prosecutors, the prisoner assisted in the cases against Karen Chetcuti's killer, Michael Cardamone, Karl Hague, who murdered Ricky Balcombe in 1995, and another murderer.
Karl Hague was convicted of killing teenager Ricky Balcombe. Credit:Joe Armao
The informer, who cannot be named, has spent much of his adult years in prison for dishonesty offences and robbery and could be called as a witness in another murder trial, The Age understands. He previously told a court he also has information about another historic murder.
Such is his apparent knack of having inmates confide, Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry this year asked: "[He's] a Catholic priest, is he? He's in receipt of several confessions. Is that what you're about to refer to?"
The Age has seen a sample of the documents in question. One table has basic numerical markings to describe the students behaviour (1 = aggression; 2= self-injury and so on). First aid slips have also been provided with some detail of Sophie acting out. None of it mentions if or how restraint has been used. According to disability advocate Julie Phillips, who is assisting the family in a looming legal battle with the department: The information provided from a behaviour analytical perspective is so sparse that it is impossible to work out what is occurring, she says. Is it something sinister, or something to do with the disability? What is going on? We dont know because we dont have enough information." Victoria prides itself on being the so-called education state but whether its transparent enough is a key question.
While the public can now access government funding figures for each school, details on how those schools spend that money is opaque and hard to track. Principals also claim they're often kept in the dark on government policy reforms. The latest changes to cleaning arrangements for metropolitan schools was cited as one example; the shift on zoned school enrolments, by which schools will not be entitled to extra portable classrooms from next year if 50 per cent or more of their students do not live locally, was another. "Schools across Victoria were already enrolling students for 2019, only to be completely blindsided by policy delivery by phone," says Berwick Lodge Primary School principal Henry Grossek. "It was an appalling example of secretive decision-making by the department." Is it something sinister, or something to do with the disability? What is going on? We dont know because we dont have enough information. Disability advocate Julie Phillips And then there's Freedom of information - or as some parents call it: Freedom from Information. Less than one in five of the publics requests for education department documents are released in full, according to the latest documents, and certain things, such as school councils, are completely exempt from FOI law.
One family's frustration is similar to that of Sophie's parents. They believe their child has been inappropriately restrained after lashing out at the principal of a Gippsland school in February. The parents sought FOI access to their sons files, including staff diary notes, incident reports, and behaviour plans. From the outset, department bureaucrats told them the request would pose a substantial and unreasonable diversion of resources to process". They scaled back their request at the department's suggestion, but now fear they won't get all the information they want. A department spokesman said of this case, the school handled the incident appropriately at the time, and was trying to work with the family to resolve the issue. As for Sophie's case, he said: The students behaviours are complex and deeply concerning for all involved and school staff and the Department have worked tirelessly to try and support the family and work in the students best interests."
Parents Victoria spokeswoman Gail McHardy says she believes Victoria's education system is far more accountable than it has been in the past, but it was up to each school to ensure it communicates properly with parents. Otherwise conflict, and claims of secrecy, are inevitable. The department rejects suggestions it is not open enough, pointing to the "huge amount of information" published, from annual reports and statistics, to school regulations and building project details. According to the departmental spokesman, Schools have a variety of methods for communicating with families about the experiences of their children at school and consulting about their childrens needs. These range from formal school communications, student support group meetings and a range of informal communications." But Julie Phillips, who has assisted a number of families of children with disabilities in similar battles as Sophie's, says the parents have the right to know more.
AFL boss Gil McLachlan says he does not believe Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton afforded him special treatment by stepping in to prevent the deportation of an au pair employed by his relative.
The young French woman had previously worked for Callum MacLachlan, a South Australian pastoralist and relative of Mr McLachlan. In 2015, she was detained by the Australian Border Force and her tourist visa was cancelled over suspicions she intended to work while in Australia.
Mr Dutton sought a briefing and ultimately intervened to save the au pair after he was contacted by Mr McLachlan's office. The minister is now under fire for what critics perceive as a favour for a mate.
Speaking to 3AW radio on Friday, Mr McLachlan said he was contacted by his cousin Mr MacLachlan on a Sunday about a "family friend" who had been detained.
This weekend, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre will play host to a hotbed of hard-left activists and right-of-left political plotters as the Labor Party gathers for its annual state conference.
But senior figures within those warring tribes say factional battles will be temporarily set aside in a show of unity to allow federal leader Bill Shorten, the man with ambitions to be the countrys next prime minister, a chance at bridge building.
The partys faction-riven positions at the barricades will be lowered just in time for Mr Shortens arrival. Credit:Darren England/AAP
The partys faction-riven positions at the barricades will be lowered just in time for Mr Shortens arrival, in a bid to quell the likely stoush that will follow the almost guaranteed win for the Left factions preferred candidate in the Senate preselection vote.
Mr Shorten is expected to take to the stage at 10.30am Saturday to rally party loyalists a little over an hour after delegates would have cast their ballots in a crucial Senate preselection vote to decide who will replace retiring Senator Claire Moore.
For tourists, cryptocurrency eliminates the friction normally involved with travel as it removes the risk of having to carry cash, international transaction fees are non-existent and there's no need to worry about having too much unwanted local currency at the end of the trip. But the main attraction is that it eliminates the biggest risk normally associated with travel: credit card fraud. In 2017, transactions made on Australian cards totalled more than $748.1 billion, an increase of 5 per cent over the previous year. However, as we spend more than ever on our cards, the rate of fraud is also increasing. Credit card fraud was up 5 per cent, netting criminals $561 million with stolen card details accounting for 85 per cent of fraudulent card transactions. Having your credit card lost or stolen is enough to cut a trip short, but with cryptocurrency your smartphone acts as the interface to your digital wallet. If you do lose your smartphone, you can recover your digital wallet on another handset and continue on with your travels. TravelbyBit CEO Caleb Yeoh says that digital currencies don't share the same security flaws as credit cards, as no personally identifiable information is handed over to the merchant.
"Privacy with digital currencies is a security feature; I push a fixed amount of money to the business and that merchant has no ability to pull any more money from my account. Whereas, with credit cards, whoever has my credit card number can pull money from my account again and again and make as many fraudulent transactions as they want online. That's why there's so much credit card fraud going on. Yeoh says that cryptocurrency also offers a number of benefits to businesses, as there's no risk of the transaction being reversed in the event a customer pays with a stolen credit credit card, and there's no merchant fees or any point-of-sale rental costs either. "Whether you're a business or the customer, all you need is a smartphone to transact with digital currencies." TravelbyBit CEO Caleb Yeoh. The low barrier to entry means it opens the door to businesses located in places off the beaten path where there is no credit card services or ATMs and carrying cash is the only option. Yeoh's own experience in such a scenario is what spawned the idea of TravelbyBit.
"I was wandering through Kalpitiya in Sri Lanka not long after the civil war had ended. I wanted to extend my stay, but they couldnt process credit card payments and I had run out of cash. In the end, they let me stay and told me I could pay down the track once I found a way to do so. I thought, thats nice but thats not a reliable way to run a business. "I thought, what if they could just take payment peer-to-peer over a smartphone without the need of an international financial intermediary or credit card service. What if one could carve out an entire adventure just with mobile payments without the risk of credit card fraud?" It's still early days for this nascent technology and despite its benefits, digital currency has a long way to go in terms of adoption before it becomes as commonplace as a credit card. The total value of digital currency trading in Australia last year was $5.9 billion, and while that is bigger than most initially believed, it is a drop in the ocean compared to credit card transactions. It also remains to be seen how much of an impact digital currencies will have on tourism numbers in the long term, though it's off to a decent start. Brisbane Airport is averaging around 50 digital currency transactions a week and growing steadily, while the small coffee shop Cafe Discovery in Agnes Water is doing about ten transactions a week.
The Cafe's owner Leisa Trickett says that the customer reception to digital currencies had "exceeded her expectations". "I'm 60 years old and I think it is going to be the future of international travel. It mightn't happen in my lifetime, but it is here to stay," Trickett said. Loading Other states aren't as enthused about digital currencies and its potential to attract travellers. A Victorian Government spokesperson told Fairfax Media that it is leaving the take-up of cryptocurrency to individual businesses.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Ricketson could expect further consular assistance and that the government had previously approached Cambodia directly about the case. "As usual with these types of events, it's best I think to deal with these things calmly, directly and in a way that best assists the citizen," he told reporters in Jakarta. Loading The offences were committed between December 2010 and June 2017, the judges said, not from 1995 as initially alleged. The charge carried a maximum sentence of 10 years. Prosecutor Sieng Sok said he "agreed with the decision of the court", but defence lawyer Kong Sam Onn said the evidence was insufficient to convict his client.
"After seven days of hearings we have seen so little evidence to put the burden on James in accusing him of being a secret agent, a spy that affects the national defence, or accusing him of espionage or anything against the government," Sam Onn said. He said Ricketson could appeal against the decision or ask for a royal pardon, and he would meet his client to discuss further legal steps. He added he would write to the Australian embassy asking it to support any pardon request. The Australian embassy has been approached for comment. The decision left Ricketson's family members in Phnom Penh and in Australia devastated. "We're not giving up," Jesse Ricketson said outside the courthouse.
"This result will send shockwaves out through all of our family and community and James' supporters ... It's been a really long hard road to this point, and now to get this result is just heartbreaking. I feel so much for my father right now." Ricketson's adopted daughter, Roxanne Holmes, said she was in "total despair". "Justice was not served today," she said. "For a 69-year-old man like my dad, who is in poor health, this is effectively a death sentence." Ricketson's defence lawyer, Kong Sam Onn. Credit:Erin Handley A statement from the family said the toll of this result had been immense and it continues to be a "truly brutal experience".
"We are in utter shock at this outcome and that James, an innocent Australian, has been sentenced so harshly. Our family lives this tragedy daily ... Now, more than ever, we desperately need the help of the Australian government to strongly advocate on behalf of one of its citizens." The unprecedented and uncharacteristically lengthy trial drew to a close on Wednesday with the prosecutor recommending Ricketson be convicted, alleging his filmmaking and humanitarian work were a cover for espionage activities between 1995 and 2017. The prosecution gave just three items of evidence to back up the espionage charge a letter to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, an email to former Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy and a dozen photographs of riot police at a protest in Freedom Park. Rainsy slammed the result. "The decision is revolting and reached in the absence of any evidence to support the charge. Cambodia's legal system has acted at the behest of the executive and remains far removed from international norms," he said. "This witch trial must trigger an international response. Why does the Australian government allow such an injustice to be perpetrated against one of its citizens?"
Phil Robertson, of Human Rights Watch, said the guilty verdict was "predetermined" and the charge was "ridiculous". "When it comes to a conviction in a Cambodian court, clearly no facts are required," he said. Cambodia should stop tormenting Ricketson and his family, release him immediately and unconditionally, and quash this conviction." Australian filmmaker James Ricketson during the trial. Credit:AP Ricketson has repeatedly asked which country he allegedly spied for a question that was not answered over seven days of hearings.
After his defence team screened clips of Ricketson's feature films and documentaries in an effort to prove he was not a spy, the trial judges brought up new emails as evidence, and peppered Ricketson with politically-tinged questions about his criticism of Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). The CPP swept to victory at the national election last month, claiming all 125 parliamentary seats less than a year after the Supreme Court headed by a card-carrying CPP member forcibly dissolved the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and banned its senior leaders from politics for five years. The CNRP's president, Kem Sokha, was also arrested in a midnight swoop almost a year ago and accused of treason over a speech he made in Australia in 2013, in which he described political advice he received from the US about regime change. Cambodian authorities alleged the speech was evidence of plans to foment a "colour revolution" and a plot to "topple" Hun Sen's government part of the conspiracy rhetoric that came to dominate Cambodian discourse in the lead-up to the election.
Ricketson's support for the CNRP and his apparent closeness to Sokha's predecessor, Rainsy including asking Rainsy's wife to fact-check an opinion piece, offering media advice, and sending clips of footage from rallies and protests was also interrogated by the judges. Of particular interest was a private email to a family member, in which Ricketson wrote: "It is fascinating to be behind the scenes and to be observing the way in which Rainsy is plotting to become Prime Minister," and that Rainsy planned to pull off "a bloodless coup". Rainsy said Ricketson was an independent filmmaker and journalist who had never worked for him. "I deny all their accusations which are not only groundless but silly," he said. "These are pure inventions intended to harm an innocent person who has the right not to like Hun Sen's authoritarian style of government.
"The lack of independence of the Cambodian judiciary is clearly shown in this case, as in many others." Ricketson gave some combative answers to questions from the judges, who asked him why he wrote "bad things" about Hun Sen and the CPP and why he did not focus on the good developments in Cambodia. Ricketson said he didn't see how criticism and opinion equated to espionage, before taking on a contrite tone on his final day in court, repeating his apology to Hun Sen for the "too strong words" he used in a letter to Turnbull suggesting he cancel Hun Sen's visit to Australia. Ricketson has proved a divisive figure and admitted he had enemies in the NGO sector. He has previously been accused and convicted of defamation in a Cambodian court a case he said he was unaware of until after the verdict and has been criticised for staunchly defending the right to a fair trial for convicted paedophile David Fletcher. He has had a public spat with Screen Australia and once took to Facebook to describe Hun Sen as the "Darth Vader of Cambodian politics".
Jakarta: Australian universities and health providers could be two of the big winners after Australia and Indonesia finally agreed on key details of long-awaited free trade agreement.
And Australian farmers will receive certainty in the form of annual quotas which will determine the volume of beef, live cattle, potatoes and other agricultural products that can be exported to Indonesia.
Sofyan Wanandi, a senior official in the office of Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, told Fairfax Media the two nations had finally completed negotiations on the deal late on Thursday evening.
The new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who arrived in Jakarta late on Thursday evening, will meet Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo at his Palace in Bogor on Friday and the pair will announce the formal end of negotiations.
Bogor: Australia and Indonesia have finally clinched a free trade deal that will be a "massive win-win" for both nations, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.
And the two nations have also agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" based on five pillars, with one of those pillars emphasising respect for the rules-based international order an apparent nod to China's growing control of the South China Sea.
In his first speech in a foreign capital since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Morrison will begin to outline some of his policy priorities at a business breakfast in Jakarta on Saturday morning.
Mr Morrison's speech will emphasise that growing foreign trade and investment will be key priorities for his government, as will be keeping the Indo-Pacific region prosperous, open and secure, and deepening engagement with key regional partners like Indonesia.
Dear son,
Its a cool, damp, morning in Sydney. Last weekend your mother, brother, and I enjoyed putting some of the final preparations together for your nursery, as youre due to join us in just over a month. Amid our joy, the past fortnight has also seen political disorder at the highest level in both of the countries in which you will have citizenship. Across the Pacific, two of the US Presidents former confidantes were found guilty in a federal court. Here, the fifth Prime Minister in as many years was sworn in after intense intra-party discord.
In sharp contrast to this setting, I write to you about a hero of mine and millions of others whom we sadly lost to brain cancer last weekend: US senator John McCain. I write because I fear his passing marks the end of an era during which the perspective of his integrity reverberated in Washington, DC and around the world. Sadly, I expect we will only truly understand his value now that he has left us.
John McCain in 2017. Credit:AP
One morning in September 1999, weeks into my final year at the US Naval Academy, I was told that McCain would be joining my table for breakfast, a particular honour considering there are 400 tables for the 4000 midshipmen that dine together in King Hall.
It's no news that alcohol can make you feel happier, at least until the next morning.. But now a study has found that drinking with your partner may actually make your relationship happier overall.
A study published in The Journals of Gerontology set out to find the connection between drinking patterns and marriage quality. And while yes, it mostly involved older participants, it can give us some insights into whether we'll be happier in our couples in the long run... if you want to look that far into the future.
The study found that "concordant drinking couples reported decreased negative marital quality over time, and these links were significantly greater among wives. Wives who reported drinking alcohol reported decreased negative marital quality over time when husbands also reported drinking and increased negative marital quality over time when husbands reported not drinking."
In English, if both sides of the couple are drinking in moderation, they're both happy. If it's just the wife drinking, she's less happy.
Obviously the amount of alcohol being drank is important though, with the study stressing that just one drink together will be better for your happiness than getting absolutely writen off.
Dr. Kira Birditt from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor said of the study: "We're not suggesting that people should drink more or change the way they drink, but it could be that couples that do more leisure time activities together have better martial quality. The study shows that it's not about how much they're drinking, it's about whether they drink at all."
So yes, drinking with your loved one may make you both happier, but don't take that as an excuse to go even harder this weekend... Always drink responsibly guys!
3 Arrested on Suspicion on Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of Worker
Three men have been arrested in the death of a construction worker who was run over by a steamroller in early 2016 in San Franciscos Parkside neighborhood, prosecutors announced on Aug. 29.
According to prosecutors, 48-year-old Dublin man Ramiro Pena Pena, 41-year-old Pacifica man Michael Sommer, and 59-year-old Richmond man Manuel Silao were arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.
According to court records, Maurilio Rojas died when he was run over by a steamroller operated by another employee of L C General Engineering and Construction Inc., which prosecutors have identified as another defendant in the case.
Court records also say that Sommer, president of L C General Engineering and Construction Inc.; Silao, a project manager; and Pena, a foreman, all contributed to permitting a worker, who was unqualified, to operate a heavy roller at the construction site.
Prosecutors said the employee had no experience operating a steamroller and hadnt received proper training to operate it and was operating it because his employer told him to.
He allegedly lost control of the steamroller near the intersection of Vicente Street and 18th Avenue and ran over Rojas, who was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with serious injuries before he died.
In a statement, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said, When businesses ignore regulations designed to create safe workplaces, they put their employees and the community at risk.
Pena was arraigned on Aug. 29. Sommer will be arraigned on Aug. 30, and Silao is scheduled for arraignment on Aug. 28.
L C General Engineering and Construction Inc. will be arraigned Sept. 24, prosecutors said.
By Keith Burbank and Sara Gaiser.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau pauses while speaking during a press availability at the Canadian Embassy on October 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
As Clock Ticks, Canada and US Seek Ways to Salvage NAFTA
WASHINGTONTalks between Canada and the United States intensified on Aug. 30 as the two countries pushed to hammer out a deal on a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement by an Aug. 31 deadline, with both sides upbeat about the progress made so far.
Despite some contentious issues still on the table, the increasingly positive tone contrasted with U.S. President Donald Trumps harsh criticism of Canada in recent weeks, raising hopes that the year-long talks will conclude soon with a trilateral agreement.
Negotiations entered a crucial phase this week after the United States and Mexico announced a bilateral deal on Aug. 27, paving the way for Canada to rejoin talks to salvage the 24-year-old accord that accounts for over $1 trillion in annual trade.
Negotiators worked late into Aug. 29, officials said, and talks continued the following day between Canadas lead negotiator, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
Trilateral talks are already underway at technical level and the U.S., Canadian and Mexican teams have been in touch in the past few days, according to two people familiar with the process. The ministers responsible were poised to meet, possibly as soon as Aug. 30, they added.
The NAFTA deal that is taking shape would likely strengthen North America as a manufacturing base by making it more costly for automakers to import a large share of vehicle parts from outside the region. The automotive content provisions, the most contentious topic, could accelerate a shift of parts-making away from China.
New chapters governing the digital economy and stronger intellectual property, labor and environmental standards could also work to the benefit of U.S. companies, potentially helping Trump to fulfill his campaign promise of creating more American jobs.
Trump has set an Aug. 31 deadline for the three countries to reach an agreement, which would allow Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to sign it before he leaves office at the end of November. Under U.S. law, Trump must wait 90 days before signing the pact.
The U.S. president has warned he could try to proceed with a deal with Mexico alone and levy tariffs on Canadian-made cars if Ottawa does not come on board, although U.S. lawmakers have said ratifying a bilateral deal would not be easy.
Late Night Talks
We have had very intensive work being done by officials who were meeting late into the night last night on a number of different issues and I look forward to reviewing that work with Ambassador Lighthizer, Freeland told reporters on Aug. 30.
Theres a lot of goodwill. Its a lot that were trying to do in a short period of time, were working very very intensely, she added.
Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed optimism on Aug. 29 about reaching an agreement by Aug. 31, although work remains on specific issues.
Trudeau is expected to update premiers of Canadian provinces on Aug. 30 on the progress of the talks.
One sticking point for Canada is the U.S. effort to dump the Chapter 19 dispute-resolution mechanism that hinders the United States from pursuing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases. Lighthizer said on Aug. 27 that Mexico had agreed to eliminate the mechanism.
I think the Canadian view on Chapter 19 is well known, Freeland told reporters late on aug. 29. I think it will be most effective if we keep our negotiations on specific issues to the negotiating table.
Trump also wants a NAFTA deal that eliminates dairy tariffs of up to 300 percent that he argues are hurting U.S. farmers, an important political base for Republicans.
But any concessions to Washington by Ottawa is likely to upset Canadian dairy farmers, who have an outsized influence in Canadian politics, with their concentration in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Ultimately, weve got huge issues that are still to be resolved, said Jerry Dias, head of Canadas influential Unifor labor union. Either were going to be trading partners or were going to fight.
By Julie Gordon & Sharay Angulo
Tech-giant Apple has apologized for slowing down its old iPhones and has dropped the price for battery replacements as a way of making amends. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)
Buffett Boosts Apple Stake A Little, Says iPhone Is Enormously Underpriced
The Oracle of Omaha is adding to his already large stake in Apple Inc.
Warren Buffett, 88, likes the technology giant because of its devoted customers, and has built up his stake in the company by just a little since his last regulatory filing, he said Aug. 30 in an interview with CNBC. The Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer said his company also bought back some of its own stock recently, without saying how much.
Theyve got to keep having the product that this huge clientele regards as indispensable, Buffett said of Apple. For customers, the iPhone is enormously underpriced compared with the utility it offers, he said.
Berkshire has been piling more money into Apple, increasing that stake to 252 million shares, as of June 30. The investment is worth more than $50 billion and makes Berkshire the third-biggest shareholder in Cupertino, California-based Apple, with a more than 5 percent stake, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Buffett has expanded his company into a conglomerate with a $520 billion market cap and footholds in the railroad business, insurance industry and energy sector. With the help of deputies Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, the billionaire investor also oversees a $180 billion stock portfolio that includes a stake in Wells Fargo & Co.
Earlier this year, Buffett teamed up with JPMorgan Chase & Co.s Jamie Dimon and Amazon.com Inc.s Jeff Bezos to create a venture thats aiming to change how health care is provided to the three companies employees. In June, the group named Atul Gawande to lead the initiative, which will be based in Boston. While exact details on the venture are scant, Buffett has previously said that the goal is to go beyond just squeezing middlemen and actually lower costs and deliver better care.
Gawande is in the process of adding staff now.
Hes hiring people, Buffett said in a subsequent interview with Bloomberg Television on Aug. 30. Not very many people, but he will be hiring people.
The initiative wont succeed if its just a cost-cutting measure, Buffett said. Wed like to be in a hurry but were not going to try and do something faster than it can be done, he said.
Buffett was in New York on Aug. 30 to dine with the winner of his annual lunch auction, which benefits the San Francisco-based charity Glide. The winner paid $3.3 million for the opportunity to bring guests to eat with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steak house in Manhattan.
Cambodian Court Sentences Australian Filmmaker to 6 Years for Spying
Human rights advocates say Ricketson is a 'scapegoat' and family is 'terrified for him'
An Australian filmmaker has been found guilty of espionage by a court in Cambodia and sentenced to six years in jail.
Human rights advocates have condemned the sentencing of 69-year-old James Ricketson, who was arrested 15 months ago for flying a drone without a permit over a political rally organized by the now-banned opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP).
A bench of three judges handed down the verdict on Friday, Aug. 31, in a Phnom Penh courtroom, as Ricketson sat dressed in a pink prison uniform and holding a copy of the thriller book The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has decided to convict James Ricketson and sentences him to six years in prison for espionage and collecting information that is harmful to the nation between December 2010 and June 2017, Judge Seng Leang said.
Ricketson has always maintained his innocence and yelled through a prison van window Which country am I spying for? as he was whisked away to serve his sentence.
The Australian has already spent 15 months in Phnom Penh jail since his arrest.
Accused of Inciting Hatred
During Ricketsons trial, prosecutor Seang Sok said Ricketson had entered Cambodia to incite hatred.
Sok also accused the defendant of scheming to overthrow Cambodias long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government and to provide information to foreign states that was harmful to the country.
He alleged that Ricketson had used his filmmaking as a cover since 1995 for espionage activities.
Ricketsons arrest came amid a wider crackdown on freedom of expression by Hun Sens government and his Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP).
The CPP last month claimed victory following a controversial general election which was largely unopposed.
Rights groups said the July 29 vote was neither free nor fair given the absence of a significant challenger to Hun Sen, who has ruled for 33 years.
A Truly Brutal Experience
Ricketsons family expressed despair at the outcome after the ruling was handed down.
James is almost 70 and is not in good health, our family is very scared about what will happen to him in there if things take a turn for the worst, Ricketsons family said in a statement following the verdict, referring to Phnom Penhs Prey Sar prison where Ricketson has been remanded.
James is not a spy. James loves Cambodia and the Cambodian people. He is a filmmaker and a humanitarian, the family said.
The toll of this result, for James, and our whole family and friends is immense, the family said, SBS News reported. It has, and continues to be a truly brutal experience.
Ricketsons son, Jesse Ricketson, said the courts decision was an absolute tragedy.
Its very difficult to imagine what the future holds now for my dad. Im absolutely terrified for him, he added.
Judges Carrying Out Political Orders
Human rights advocates criticized the verdict, saying Ricketsons trial had exposed everything thats wrong with the Cambodian judicial system.
When it comes to a conviction in a Cambodian court, clearly no facts are required. From day one, James Ricketson has been a scapegoat in Hun Sens false narrative of a so-called color revolution used as an excuse to crack down on the political opposition and civil society critics, said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watchs deputy Asia director.
This trial exposed everything thats wrong with the Cambodian judicial system: ridiculously excessive charges, prosecutors with little or no evidence, and judges carrying out political orders from the government rather than ruling based on what happens in court, Robertson said in a statement.
Robertson was also critical of the Australian government, accusing them of failing to publicly challenge the ludicrous charade that surrounded the case.
This is more proof that Australias softly, quietly approach toward Southeast Asian dictators is not just morally bankruptits also totally ineffective, said Robertson.
We are really looking for a lot more support moving forward from the new Australian government, Ricketsons nephew, Bim Ricketson, told reporters in Sydney.
Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Ricketson can expect further consular assistance and that the government had previously approached Cambodia directly about the case.
As usual with these types of events, its best I think to deal with these things calmly, directly and in a way that best assists the citizen, Morrison told reporters in Jakarta.
File photo: Iraqi soldiers patrol along the border between Syria and Iraq in Anbar province, Iraq on July 20, 2012. (AP/Khalid Mohammed/File)
Car Bomb Claimed by ISIS Kills 7 in Western Iraq
BAGHDADSeven people were killed Aug. 29 in a suicide car bombing claimed by the ISIS terrorist group in a former stronghold of the jihadists in western Iraq, a security official said.
The attacker detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at a joint security checkpoint managed by the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces at the southern entrance to the town of al-Qaim, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Syrian border, Maj. Gen Qasem al-Dulaimi said.
He said four security forces and three civilians were killed in the blast.
Al-Dulaimi blamed ISIS for the attack, and the group, through its Aamaq news agency, later claimed responsibility in posts it circulated on social media.
Also on Aug. 29, the Criminal Court of Anbar Province, which includes al-Qaim, sentenced three men to death by hanging, finding them guilty of carrying out terror attacks in the province. There was no indication the men were connected to the attack on Aug. 29.
Judge Abdelsattar Bayarqadar, spokesman for Iraqs Supreme Judicial Council, said the three men were members of ISIS. Al-Qaim is a former ISIS group stronghold in Anbar province in western Iraq.
A spate of kidnappings and guerrilla style attacks in desert areas in western and central Iraq this summer have stirred security concerns in the country as it seeks to rebuild from its three-year-long war with the terrorist group.
Iraqi officials declared victory over the jihadists late last year after recapturing Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, in a grinding battle supported by the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS.
But heavy-handed tactics by the military and the Shiite-dominated PMF, and faltering efforts at reconciliation between the countrys Sunni and Shiite Muslims, have fueled resentment in Sunni Muslim areas that were most affected by the war, and where ISIS cells are believed to operate.
Millions of Iraqis have not been able to return to their homes, including hundreds of thousands still living in displaced persons camps.
Iraqs military and the PMF have been using the predominantly Sunni Anbar province as a base of operations against ISIS in the countrys western desert and for air operations against the group in neighboring Syria.
Associated Press writer Philip Issa in Beirut contributed to this report.
LinkedIn logos are displayed on an iPhone and computer screen in London, England, on Aug. 3, 2016. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Chief US Spy Catcher Says China Using LinkedIn to Recruit Americans
WASHINGTONThe United States top spy catcher said Chinese espionage agencies are using fake LinkedIn accounts to try to recruit Americans with access to government and commercial secrets, and that the company should shut them down.
William Evanina, the U.S. counter-intelligence chief, told Reuters in an interview that intelligence and law enforcement officials have informed LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, about Chinas super aggressive efforts on the site.
He said the Chinese campaign includes contacting thousands of LinkedIn members at a time, but he declined to say how many fake accounts U.S. intelligence had discovered, how many Americans may have been contacted, and how much success China has had in the recruitment drive.
German and British authorities have previously warned their citizens that Beijing is using LinkedIn to try to recruit them as spies. But this is the first time a U.S. official has publicly discussed the challenge in the United States and indicated that it is a bigger problem than previously known.
Evanina said LinkedIn should look at copying the response of Twitter, Google, and Facebook, which have all purged fake accounts allegedly linked to Iranian and Russian intelligence agencies.
I recently saw that Twitter is canceling, I dont know, millions of fake accounts, and our request would be maybe LinkedIn could go ahead and be part of that, said Evanina, who heads the U.S. National Counter-Intelligence and Security Center.
It is highly unusual for a senior U.S. intelligence official to single out an American-owned company by name and publicly recommend it to take action. LinkedIn boasts 562 million users in more than 200 countries and territories, including 149 million U.S. members.
Evanina did not, however, say whether he was frustrated by LinkedIns response or whether he believes it has done enough.
LinkedIns head of trust and safety, Paul Rockwell, confirmed the company had been talking to U.S. law enforcement agencies about Chinese espionage efforts. Earlier this month, LinkedIn said it had taken down less than 40 fake accounts whose users were attempting to contact LinkedIn members associated with unidentified political organizations. Rockwell did not say whether those were Chinese accounts.
We are doing everything we can to identify and stop this activity, Rockwell told Reuters. Weve never waited for requests to act and actively identify bad actors and remove bad accounts using information we uncover and intelligence from a variety of sources including government agencies.
Rockwell declined to provide numbers of fake accounts associated with Chinese intelligence agencies. He said the company takes very prompt action to restrict accounts and mitigate and stop any essential damage that can happen but gave no details.
LinkedIn is a victim here, Evanina said. I think the cautionary tale is, You are going to be like Facebook. Do you want to be where Facebook was this past spring with congressional testimony?' he said, referring to lawmakers questioning of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Russias use of Facebook to meddle in the 2016 U.S. elections.
Chinas foreign ministry denied Evaninas allegations.
Ex-CIA Officer Ensnared
Evanina said he was speaking out in part because of the case of Kevin Mallory, a retired CIA officer convicted in June of conspiring to commit espionage for China.
A fluent Mandarin speaker, Mallory was struggling financially when he was contacted via a LinkedIn message in February 2017 by a Chinese national posing as a headhunter, according to court records and trial evidence.
The individual, using the name Richard Yang, arranged a telephone call between Mallory and a man claiming to work at a Shanghai think tank.
During two subsequent trips to Shanghai, Mallory agreed to sell U.S. defense secretssent over a special cellular device he was giveneven though he assessed his Chinese contacts to be intelligence officers, according to the U.S. governments case against him. He is due to be sentenced in September and could face life in prison.
While Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other nations also use LinkedIn and other platforms to identify recruitment targets, the U.S. intelligence officials said China is the most prolific and poses the biggest threat.
U.S. officials said Chinas Ministry of State Security has co-opteesindividuals who are not employed by intelligence agencies but work with themset up fake accounts to approach potential recruits.
They said the targets include experts in fields such as supercomputing, nuclear energy, nanotechnology, semiconductors, stealth technology, healthcare, hybrid grains, seeds, and green energy.
Chinese intelligence uses bribery or phony business propositions in its recruitment efforts. Academics and scientists, for example, are offered payment for scholarly or professional papers and, in some cases, are later asked or pressured to pass on U.S. government or commercial secrets.
Some of those who set up fake accounts have been linked to IP addresses associated with Chinese intelligence agencies, while others have been set up by bogus companies, including some that purport to be in the executive recruiting business, said a senior U.S. intelligence official, who requested anonymity in order to discuss the matter.
The official said some correlation has been found between Americans targeted through LinkedIn and data hacked from the Office of Personnel Management, a U.S. government agency, in attacks in 2014 and 2015.
The hackers stole sensitive private information, such as addresses, financial and medical records, employment history, and fingerprints, of more than 22 million Americans who had undergone background checks for security clearances.
The United States identified China as the leading suspect in the massive hacking, an assertion Chinas foreign ministry at the time dismissed as absurd logic.
Unparalleled Spying Effort
About 70 percent of Chinas overall espionage is aimed at the U.S. private sector, rather than the government, said Joshua Skule, the head of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)s intelligence division, which is charged with countering foreign espionage in the United States.
They are conducting economic espionage at a rate that is unparalleled in our history, he said.
Evanina said five current and former U.S. officialsincluding Malloryhave been charged with or convicted of spying for China in the past two and a half years.
He indicated that additional cases of suspected espionage for China by U.S. citizens are being investigated, but declined to provide details.
U.S. intelligence services are alerting current and former officials to the threat and telling them what security measures they can take to protect themselves.
Some current and former officials post significant details about their government work history onlineeven sometimes naming classified intelligence units that the government does not publicly acknowledge.
LinkedIn is a very good site, Evanina said. But it makes for a great venue for foreign adversaries to target not only individuals in the government, former CIA folks, but academics, scientists, engineers, anything they want. Its the ultimate playground for collection.
By Warren Strobel, Jonathan Landay, & John Walcott.
Johnny Bobbitt (L), Kate McClure (R) and McClure's boyfriend Mark D'Amico pose at a Citgo station in Philadelphia. McClure and D'Amico raised more than $400,000 for Bobbitt, a homeless man, but withheld the funds for fear he would buy drugs. But on Aug. 30 a New Jersey judge issued an order compelling them to hand over the funds. (Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
Couple Who Raised $400K for Homeless Hero Ordered to Hand Over Funds
A couple who raised more than $400,000 for a homeless man that used his last $20 to fill up the gas tank of a stranded motorist in Philadelphia must now turn over whats left of the cash.
A New Jersey judge issued the order Thursday, Aug. 30, during a hearing on a lawsuit brought by Johnny Bobbitt, the man who made headlines fame by helping Katie McClure when her car ran out of gas on the I-95 exit ramp near Philadelphia.
Bobbitts lawyers claimed McClure and her boyfriend, Mark DAmico, have mismanaged a large portion of the donations raised for him on GoFundMe.
The couple denies allegations of mismanagement, saying they were reluctant to give Bobbitt such a large sum of money out of fear he would buy drugs.
The judge ordered the funds transferred into an escrow account by the end of business Friday and hire a forensic accountant to review the financial records within 10 days.
Bobbitts lawyers will have control of the account, but wont be able to use the funds in it until the judge makes a follow-up determination on the management of the money.
The judge didnt appoint a guardian to oversee the funds, something Bobbitts lawyers had requested, but one could be appointed later.
A Touching Story Gone Viral
Bobbitt, a former Marine and first responder, spent his last $20 to help McClure buy gas after her car broke down on the I-95 exit ramp near Philadelphia.
McClure posted about it on social media and the news of Bobbitts selfless act quickly went viral.
The story is in the link guys. Thanks so much for even taking a quick look! Let's do something special https://t.co/MFugVz1mj2 #philly #love Kate McClure (@getjohnnyahome) November 11, 2017
Initially, McClure made an effort to stop by where Bobbitt was often spotted.
First, she repaid him for the gas, then brought him a jacket, some gloves, a hat, warm socks, and a few dollars each time she stopped by.
Through conversations, she learned that Bobbitt was originally from North Carolina, and had been an ammunition technician in the Marines.
McClure and DAmica found Bobbitts old Facebook page, where he chronicled a romantic relationship to a breakup, and his training to become a paramedic as he aspired to be a flight nurse.
But bad luck and some bad decisions lead Bobbitt to get involved with drugs, leading to financial problems and a criminal record.
A friend of Bobbitts told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he had a good heart and was a talented and smart paramedic, but his life took an unfortunate turn.
McClure and DAmico set up a GoFundMe page to collect funds to help Bobbitt get a leg-up in life.
The response was overwhelming.
The funding goal was $10,000, but within nine months the amount collected reached $402,706, an extraordinary result that received broad media coverage.
A Feud Over Funds
But the sweet story turned bitter, with Bobbitt claiming the couple was withholding his funds.
From what I can see, the GoFundMe account raised $402,000 and GoFundMe charged a fee of approximately $30,000, Bobbitts lawyer Chris Fallon told CNN on Aug. 25. Mark DAmico and Kate McClure gave Johnny about $75,000. There should be close to another $300,000 available to Johnny.
McClure said on the GoFundMe page that the money would be used to buy Bobbitt a house and truck, and the rest would be placed in two trustsone that would let him collect a small salary each year and another for his retirement.
This is a well thought out plan that Johnny his lawyer and financial advisor came up with in order to give Johnny the means to acclimate back into a normal life and also to protect him and ensure he has a bright future, McClure wrote.
But instead of a house, they bought him a camper, which they parked in their New Jersey home driveway, where Bobbitt lived until June.
This was not his choice and he didnt have any say in the matter, said Jacqueline Promislo, another lawyer working the case, according to CNN. Johnny would have preferred to go back to North Carolina. That would have been a much better environment.
According to Promislo, Bobbitt had no access to money or food while living in the camper and he didnt have any ability to take care of himself there.
The couple also bought him a truck, which they allegedly drove until it broke down, Promislo claimed.
GoFundMe was also investigating the claim of misappropriation of the funds from the drive.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe said the crowdfunding website is looking into the claims of misuse regarding this campaign.
When there is a dispute, we work with all parties involved to ensure funds go to the right place, GoFundMes statement read, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. We will work to ensure that Johnny receives the help he deserves and that the donors intentions are honored.
Meanwhile, the couple told The Philadelphia Inquirer that they did what they could to help Bobbitt, and are withholding the money until he gets a job and is off drugs.
Bobbitt, who told the newspaper that he had spent a portion of a lump sum of $25,000 the couple had once given him on drugs, is now back on the streets, panhandling.
He said he feels betrayed, and that he prefers to beg in public than ask the couple for cash.
McClure, too, said she feels betrayed, and claimed Bobbitt pawned goods he had stolen from them to feed his drug habit.
Meanwhile, DAmico told the paper that while no trusts have been set up for Bobbitt, about $200,000 remains of the collected funds in a savings account that he controls.
He said he will give the money to Bobbitt when he is clean, because giving it to someone addicted to drugs would be like giving him a loaded gun.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (L) and Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh in McConnell's office in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 10, 2018. Kavanaughs confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin on Sept. 4. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Democrats Wilt in August Heat, Agree to 15 Judicial Appointments
News Analysis
WASHINGTONIn a decision that has outraged Democratic activists and delighted Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has agreed to the confirmation of 15 District Court judges.
Schumers hand was likely forced by the combination of an unforgiving electoral slate in November and a decision made by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in 2013.
Seven district court judges received fast-track approvals on Aug. 28, and eight more are scheduled to be confirmed the week of Sept. 3.
Until this latest batch of confirmations, the Democrats had used procedural maneuvers to slow confirmation of President Donald Trumps nomineesboth for the judiciary and for the administration. Senate rules allow for 30 hours of debate for each nominee, and the Democrats have typically insisted on using every hour and requiring a cloture vote to end debate.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in a press release, complained about the historic level of obstruction that Senate Democrats have systematically visited upon this administrations nominees, even for critical positions.
President Trumps nominees have already been subjected to more than four times as many cloture votes as the nominees of his six most recent predecessors combined in their first two years, McConnell wrote. Twenty-four cloture votes on nominations in the first two years of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Obama all put together. And for President Trump? One hundred and tenand counting.
The Democrats have adopted this method of obstruction because in 2013, then-Majority Leader Reid, frustrated by Republican obstruction of President Barack Obamas judicial nominees, changed the Senate rules.
Employing what was called the nuclear option, Reid reduced the number of votes needed to approve a presidential appointment from 60 to a simple majority, which means Republicans currently have the votes needed to approve any nominee, so long as they stick together. Republicans hold a 5049 advantage in the chamber, following the death of John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Even without the ability through a filibuster to block a nominee, though, the Democrats could slow them down.
Brian Fallon, a former Schumer spokesman and now executive director of the progressive judicial activist group Demand Justice, blames the decision to fast-track this tranche of nominees on Senate Democrats trading this many lifetime positions away for a couple days back home in the dead of August, as reported by Huffington Post.
McConnell has put pressure on the Democrats by keeping the Senate, which usually takes all of August off, in session. After the deal was reached to confirm the circuit court judges, McConnell adjourned the Senate from Aug. 29 through Sept. 4.
Meanwhile, Schumer is looking at Democrats defending 26 of the 35 Senate seats that are up for election. With 10 of those seats in states Trump carried, a few extra days available to campaign may look pretty valuable to Schumer and his colleagues, whose jobs are on the line.
With only a majority needed for approval, McConnell has pushed through judicial nominees at a record pace. So far, 33 circuit court nominees have been confirmed, more than any other president at this point in his term, according to Bloomberg.
Overall, Trump has gotten 60 federal judges confirmed, including 26 appeals judges and Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Fallon complained that An entire branch of government is being lost for generations, and Senate Democrats are willfully blind to it.
Most of the judges appointed by Trump are in their 40s or 50s. With lifetime appointments, they will serve for decades.
Since Robert Borks failed appointment to the Supreme Court in 1987, nominations to the federal judiciary have been the subject of bitter partisan fights that reflect a fundamental disagreement between conservatives and liberals or progressives.
Trump, guided by White House counsel Don McGahn and a conservative legal group called the Federalist Society, has chosen originalistsjudges who believe in sticking to the text of the law and the Constitution and the intentions of its framers. Democrats tend to subscribe to the idea of a living Constitution, in which judges interpret the law more freely, in line with what they believe are the prevailing standards of the time or the judges view of what is right.
Conservatives complain that liberal judges dress up their personal and policy preferences in newly discovered rights and in doing so threaten the foundation of an orderly and free republic; liberals complain that conservatives cloth their prejudices in reverence for ideas that, while once revolutionary, are now over 200 years old.
Florida Couple Used Drive-Thru Window at Mobile Home to Sell Fentanyl: Police
A Florida couple is accused of building a drive-thru window at their mobile home to sell drugs, said police.
William Parrish Jr. and McKenzee Dobbs of Ocala were arrested Aug. 23 after their mobile home was raided following four drug overdoses in the area, WFTV reported.
Ocala Police alleged that the pair had turned their kitchen window into a drive-thru so drug buyers wouldnt have to constantly enter and exit their home, which would draw attention, according to the report.
Investigators also said their home had signs that indicated when it was open for business and directing drivers where to go.
We were seeing some overdose incidents that were happening in this particular area, specifically at this particular location, Ocala police Capt. Steven Cuppy told WFTV.
Cuppy said that Dobbs and Parrish were selling heroin laced with fentanyl, a potent opioid blamed for a rash of fatal overdoses across the United States in recent years. A number of Chinese nationals have been accused of sending mass quantities of fentanyl to the U.S. via the U.S. Postal System.
There (were) some heroin sales that were going on there. Subsequently, through the investigation, we were able to determine that product was laced with fentanyl, he told the station.
William Parrish Sr., Parrishs father, told WFTV that his son has been visiting a methadone clinic. Hes been trying to get himself straightened out, he said, adding that he wasnt aware the couple had been dealing drugs out of their home. The overdoses, he added, are a lie.
Parrish, 32, was charged with driving under the influence, keeping a home used to sell drugs, possession of drugs with intent to sell, and resisting arrest without violence, officials said, Fox News reported. Dobbs, 20, was charged with keeping a dwelling used to sell drugs, possession of drugs with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl, and possession of fentanyl with intent to sell.
Other details about the case are not clear.
Ocala is located about 66 miles west of Daytona Beach, Florida.
Fentanyl From China
President Donald Trump earlier this month accused China of sending fentanyl to the U.S. via mail.
It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China, Trump wrote on Twitter on Aug 20. We can, and must, END THIS NOW! The Senate should pass the STOP ACT and firmly STOP this poison from killing our children and destroying our country. No more delay!
It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China. We can, and must, END THIS NOW! The Senate should pass the STOP ACT and firmly STOP this poison from killing our children and destroying our country. No more delay! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2018
The House of Representatives voted 353-52 to pass the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act in June preventing the shipment of the drugs via international mail.
On Aug. 22, Attorney General Jeff Sessions also announced the indictments against Fujing Zheng, also known as Gordon Jin, and his father Guanghau Zheng for shipping fentanyl and other synthetic drugs to at least 25 countries, including the U.S., Cleveland.com reported. Bin Wang, a Boston-based chemist, pleaded guilty to getting shipments from Zheng before sending drugs to several states, including Ohio.
A boy looks at a robot arm at the 2018 World Robot Conference in Beijing on Aug. 15, 2018. (Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images)
Technology Advancements Are Double-Edged Sword for China
China aims to become the global leader in automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. Its a goal set forth in its Made in China 2025 program and reiterated during each economic-policy update.
But, in achieving those goals, there will be collateral damage, which has already manifested in the countrys manufacturing sector, the backbone of Chinas economy.
In Beijings efforts to pursue an ambitious technological agenda, the narrative from state-run media and authorities have concentrated on the positives. In reality, automation has already replaced up to 40 percent of workers in some Chinese industrial companies, including several companies in Chinas export-manufacturing provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Guangdong, according to an Aug. 30 Financial Times report.
Quietly, Chinese authorities are concerned about the long-term impact of such layoffs on socialand ultimately, politicalstability.
100 Million Workers
The rapid development of AI and automation will permanently change Chinas employment and economic landscape.
Around 40 million to 50 million workers will be replaced within the next 15 years, and almost 100 million workers will need to change their field of work, according to a recent research report released jointly by the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF), a government-controlled think thank, and Sequoia Capital China, China arm of the Silicon Valley venture-capital firm, and cited by the China Daily, an official media outlet.
If we decide to go on the path towards a future with AI, we must emphasize human capital investment, and this must be done at an early stage, Lu Mai, vice chairman and secretary general of CDRF, said at the release of the report.
Actions should be taken as soon as possible to address these potential challenges.
While the new report focuses on the manufacturing sector, it echoes the conclusions reached in a March reportpublished jointly between the CDRF and consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG)on the impact of AI on the financial-services industry in China.
In that report, BCG estimated that by 2027, 23 percent of all jobs in Chinas financial sector will either be cut or transformed to a position requiring a different skillset. Insurance companies will be the hardest-hit, with 25 percent of jobs affected, followed by banking (22 percent), and capital markets (16 percent). In total, that translates to about 2.3 million full-time financial jobs displaced, using 2017 sector employment levels.
Advancement in AI will affect jobs in almost every sector in every country, but Chinas existing political framework and employment structure are especially vulnerable to the effects of automation.
A Black Box
First and foremost, the topic of unemployment itself is taboo and isnt well understood. Unlike the monthly figures released by the U.S. Labor Departmenta key lagging indicator for the U.S. economyChinese unemployment figures have been mostly useless.
At a macro level, China has historically underreported its unemployment rate. Politics is the main culprit; until the mid-1990s, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) denied the very existence of unemployment, viewing it as a negative side effect of foreign capitalism.
But as the countrys economy liberalized and Deng Xiaoping reformed state enterprises in the 1990s, Beijing had to recognize unemployment and began offering limited benefits to displaced workers.
For decades, Chinas unemployment rate hovered around 4 percent, because the statistics counted only those urban workers who were able to file and be approved for unemployment benefits. But the figures were unreliable, because they didnt count Chinas approximately 300 million migrant workers, and didnt include those urban workers who werent approved for unemployment benefits.
This year, China began publishing a quarterly Western-style Surveyed Unemployment Ratestill only limited to urban areasin addition to the established Registered Unemployment Rate. In the second quarter of 2018, the surveyed rate was 4.8 percent while the registered rate was 3.8 percent.
On paper, both of those rates were well below the target 5.5 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, set forth by the National Peoples Congress in March.
Then why did the Politburo recently announce stabilization of the unemployment rate as No. 1 of the top six targets in the second half of 2018?
Of all the economic difficulties such as trade, currency, and non-performing loans, the Politburo curiously singled out employment. Reading between the lines, there must be underlying domestic complications beyond the officially printed unemployment rate.
Structural Problems
Its difficult, and inadvisable, to generalize Chinas complex and evolving labor environment.
There are several dynamics playing out, which are further complicated by the advancement in automation and AI.
Due to the CCPs historical policy of protecting employment and state-ownership of most large enterprises, Chinese employers are typically less efficient than their Western counterparts. This means that Chinese firms could experience a larger hit from automation compared to Western peers.
Joblessness has also been increasing recently, due to closure of large industrial plants in Chinas Northeast rust belt, factories moving out of Eastern and Southern China to lower-cost regions in South Asia, and Beijings efforts to rein in excessive debt which slows economic expansion.
The CCPs role as a job creator has also invited criticism when jobs are lost, causing pockets of unrest and protest across the country. Authorities have increased efforts to crack down on labor protests, but the recent trend of retired military veterans joining such protests should be worrisome for the CCP.
As for the impact of AI, economists hope that technology will create new fields and in the long run, employment will even out.
If we go back to the early 19th century, there were worries about mechanized spinning machines and the idea that this would put large numbers of people out of work, Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius said in a late-2016 research note on AI. In the short run, that disruption is something that can have a significant impact.
But its not the case that technological progress over the longer stretch of history has led to higher unemployment rates. That is not the case.
In other words, new technologies and industries will create new jobs to even out unemployment over time.
But for the Chinese Communist Party, obsessed with social stability, time is also the scarcest resource.
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pauses during a news conference after a party meeting in Canberra, Australia on Aug. 24, 2018. (David Gray/Reuters)
Former Australian PM Resigns From Parliament, Government Loses Majority
SYDNEYAustralias former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday resigned from parliament, a source familiar with the matter said, stripping the government of its one-seat parliamentary majority.
Turnbull last week said he would resign from parliament after he was ousted from office in a bitter party-room contest which ushered in the countrys sixth leader in the last decade.
The speaker of the house of parliament received a resignation letter from Malcolm Turnbull this afternoon, said a source familiar with the matter. The source declined to be named as she is not authorized to talk to the media.
Until a by-election can be contested, Australias new Prime Minister Scott Morrison is left relying on the support of independent lawmakers to pass legislation, inhibiting the governments agenda just eight months out from an election.
Besides no longer having a majority in the lower house of parliament, the government does not control the upper house Senate.
According to the latest opinion polls Australias ruling Liberal-National coalition will struggle to be re-elected in a poll due by May 2019.
After a tumultuous Liberal party leadership battle last week, the two-party-preferred vote between the opposition Labor party and the coalition blew out 56-44 in favor of Labor, which would translate into a heavy election defeat.
Parliament is currently in recess, resuming on Sept. 10.
A by-election is unlikely to held until the end of September at the earliest, leaving Morrison without a majority for at least the next two-week sitting of parliament.
Morrison paid tribute to his predecessor while in Jakarta for talks with his Indonesian counterpart on a free trade deal that could be signed later this year.
I just want to send to my friend Malcolm, and to Lucy (his wife), and to their entire family all my best wishes and all my love, Morrison told reporters.
Youve served our country well, and on behalf of our country as prime minister, I just want to say thanks.
Good Samaritans Commended for Saving Drowning Woman
Eleven citizens received commendations from the Illinois Highway Patrol for rescuing a drowning woman from her overturned car.
The Good Samaritans risked their own lives to pull a woman from her submerged car after she lost control and flipped and skidded into a retention pond. The bystanders waded into the pond, pulled the woman out from underwater, and revived her on the side of the road.
Illinois State Police Illinois District 15 Commander Robert Meeder said: These citizens standing here today acted heroically by working together with one goal: the goal of preserving life, at the ceremony in Naperville, where the 11 were given letters of commendation, the Daily Herald reported.
The 11 citizens who were recognized for their bravery were Mark and Derek Fivelson, of Gilberts; Jesus Flores, of Roundlake; Patrick Gaughan, of Marengo; Frankie Gonzanez, of Sandwich; Ismael Gutierrez, of Aurora; Donald Hataway, of Machesney Park; Army National Guard Cpl. Nathan Jennings, also of Machesney Park; Nicholas Mason, of Sycamore; Evelyn Pgan, of Hampshire, and Matthew Worden, of Belvidere, according to CBS News.
You have to have something special inside of you to stop and do what needs to be done, Illinois Tollway Chairman Robert Schillerstrom said to the recipients, according to the Herald.
The rescued woman, Joanna Girmscheid, 26, of Wildwood, addressed her rescuers.
That was the most terrifying thing Ive ever been through, she said. And I fought like hell, which is why I have a broken hand, to get out of that car. And my body just couldnt hold on any longer, and when it couldnt, they were there. They were there and they saved my life.
Every one of them was there that day to make sure that I did not drown in this car.
Near-Fatal Mishap, Uncommon Bravery
Girmscheids 2010 Hyundai was pulling off the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and onto Illinois Route 47 in Huntley, Illinois around 3:18 p.m. on Aug. 3, when she lost control of her vehicle, the Herald reported. The car flipped over and slid into a retention pond filled with about four feet of water.
A number of people saw the accident and pulled over to help.
What we all saw was an enormous splash. You couldnt miss it, rescuer Matthew Wordon told WIFR.
Instinct takes over. You pull over and you spring as fast as you can go. All I saw was the tire sticking out upside down. It was horrifying, said Worden.
Illinois Army National Guard corporal Nathan Pratt Jennings, 26, didnt see the car go off the road, but he heard the splash, and he knew it had to have been made by something big. When he reached the crash site there were already a few people there.
I asked them if they saw anyone come out. They indicated that they hadnt, it was then that I realized that someone had to be in the car, he told the U.S. Army website.
Jennings plunged into the murky chest-deep water and managed to get the passenger door open. He couldnt feel the driver so he asked another man, who had followed him into the water, to hold his feet while he crawled into the submerged car.
I groped around looking for a seat belt thinking maybe they were strapped in. I couldnt see anything. It was like swimming in a big bowl of gravy. There wasnt anyone on the passenger side. Then my hands grazed something and I realized it was someone floating in the car.
Jennings grabbed Girmscheid by the ankle and dragged her from the car.
Her ankle is what I grabbed and pulled and she broke free a little bit. Thats when I looked at Matt and said I need you to pull her the rest of the way out, and he reached down under water and grabbed her foot and brought her out, said Jennings told WIFR.
I thought she was dead, Jennings said. It seemed like she was underwater for about five minutes.
Reviving the Rescued Victim
The growing group of impromptu rescuers carried the unconscious Girmscheid to shore. By some quirk of fate, two of the group were certified to do CPR. The two took turns trying to revive the still-unresponsive victim.
Molly Fivelson, a graphic designer from Gilberts, took the first shift. When she tired, Ismael Gutierrez, of Guanajuato, Mexico, who was visiting relatives in Aurora, took over.
After a while, Jennings told the Army website, Girmscheid started to moan, and then to move. Eventually, paramedics arrived and loaded Girmscheid into an ambulance.
One of the EMTs, opened the door to the ambulance before they took off and yelled that she was conscious and knew who she was. I couldnt believe it, Jennings said.
Girmscheid was transported to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, the New Herald reported.
The Illinois State Police would like to recognize these citizens for their quick thinking, bravery and lifesaving actions, ISP Director Leo Schmitz said in a statement quoted by the New Herald. There is no greater reward than saving the life of another human being. They were all heroes that day.
From NTD.tv
Greyhound Bus Crash Leaves Seven Dead in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.A blown tire on a semitrailer may be to blame for a deadly head-on crash with a Greyhound bus along Interstate 40 in New Mexico near the Arizona border, according to authorities.
At least seven people were killed, and many of the 49 passengers aboard the Greyhound bus were injured. Authorities couldnt immediately provide an exact count of how many were hurt or their conditions.
New Mexico State Police said the semi carrying produce was headed east on the freeway on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 30, when one of its tires blew. This sent the rig across the median and into oncoming traffic, where it slammed into the Greyhound heading to Phoenix from Albuquerque.
The National Transportation Safety Board and New Mexico state police are investigating.
At least nine bus passengers were being treated at the University of New Mexico Hospital. UNM officials didnt release any details about the patients conditions.
I Was Really Traumatized
Passing motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.
Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash. The semis trailer was upside down and shredded to pieces, and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, he said, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the side of the bus was torn off, he said.
It was an awe-inspiring, terrible scene, he said.
Truck driver Santos Soto III shot video showing the front of the Greyhound sheared off and the semi split open, with its contents strewn across the highway.
He saw people sobbing on the side of the road as bystanders tried to comfort them.
I was really traumatized myself because Ive been driving about two years and I had never seen anything like that before, Soto said.
Im a pretty strong person and I broke down and cried for at least 30 minutes, he added.
Chris Jones was headed west on Interstate 40 when he caught his first glimpse of the semi turned over. He saw the rest of the wreckage and stopped to help before coming across the driver of the semi sitting on the shoulder of the highway.
It was intense, Jones said.
Investigation
He said the driver told him that one of his front tires had popped, forcing the truck to veer into oncoming traffic, where it struck the bus.
We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own, Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said in a statement.
The crash occurred near the town of Thoreau. It forced the closure of westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travelers were diverted.
Wind turbines on the outskirts of Canberra on Sep. 18, 2013. (SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)
How Will Angus Taylor Reduce Power Prices for Australians?
Australias new energy minister Angus Taylor outlined his plan to reduce power prices in a speech to the Council of Small Business Australia delivered Aug. 30.
He reiterated the governments chief goal, which is to reduce prices while keeping the lights on.
The approach as outlined in the speech appears to reiterate what had been promised by the Turnbull government prior to the leadership spill, announced Aug. 20. This announcement came just after Turnbull dropped his plan to legislate the Paris CO2 emissions target of 26 percent due to strong objections from party members.
In his speech, Taylor outlined the governments plan to introduce a consumer safety net, increase competition in the electricity sector, and stamp out price-gouging by power companies.
An honour to give my first speech as Energy Minister at the @VodafoneAU National Small Business Summit #NSBS18 @COSBOA today. My priority is to get prices down. Heres how: https://t.co/OckPCmsbDk pic.twitter.com/yqsPLE5axn Angus Taylor MP (@AngusTaylorMP) August 30, 2018
A consumer safety net means that retailers will be required to offer customers low-cost, default price contracts. The default market price, to replace unregulated standing offers, will be based those recommended by the competition watchdog Australian Competition & Consumer Commissions (ACCC). The ACCC expects that such market prices could save households $183 to $416 a year and typical small businesses $561 to $1457.
Taylor said that in order to increase competition and ensure adequate electricity supply to replace ageing coal-powered stations, the government will be guaranteeing finance for new low-cost, dependable electricity generation projects.
To stamp out price gouging, Taylor warned of consequences for energy companies that chose to engage in such actions. One such action could be to force companies to divest one or more of their assets back onto the marketreducing the monopoly of combined wholesale and retail energy companiesalthough this would be a last resort.
Taylor, who had been a strategy and business consultant in the resources, agriculture, energy and infrastructure sectors before entering politics, likened power companies to the big banks and said they have eroded the trust of Australians.
We need to re-establish this trust. For too long, governments have been distracted by the wrong things, he said.
In the modern world of business, the electricity sector, like the banks, needs to re-establish its credibility or social licence with the community, Taylor said. That means maintaining and increasing industrial jobs in energy-intensive industries and ensuring households, particularly those doing it toughest, can make ends meet.
The loss of trust and the failure to deliver acceptable outcomes has reached the point where the government has no choice to wield a big stick, which we will use if we have to, he added.
The simple truth is that if industry steps up and does the right thing on price, government can step back and focus on other things, Taylor said.
Not a Climate Sceptic
Morrison has dubbed Taylor the minister for getting electricity prices down. Under the Morrison government, emissions reduction has been moved back to the environment portfolio, and will no longer be tied to the energy portfolio.
In a commitment to boosting energy supply, Taylor indicated the need to expand existing gas and coal plants that are dependable and upgrade ageing generators, alongside championing new projects.
We need to encourage all of these, he said. Its ironic that in a country with an abundance of natural resourcescoal, gas, water and solarwe should be in this position.
We need to leverage those resources, not leave them in the ground.
Taylor said that Turnbulls plan to expand the Snowy Hydro scheme will continue. He said his grandfather was the first commissioner and chief engineer of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
In his speech, Taylor rejected claims that he is a climate sceptic.
Renewables are in my blood, and have been from the day I was born.
Taylor owns a farm near Goulburn and said he was a lover of the environment.
Im not sceptical about climate science, Taylor said.
But I am and have been for many years, deeply sceptical about the economics of so many of the emission reduction schemes dreamed up by vested interest, tech contracts and politicians around the world.
None of my concerns justify support for expensive programmes that deliver little else other than funnelling consumers hard-earned money into vested interests, resulting in increased prices and reduced reliability.
Taylor is supportive of solar and hydro renewable energy, but not wind. He said renewable energy must be commercially viable and operate alongside continued focus on coal and gas.
From NTD.tv
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A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. (Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via Reuters)
Iran Moves Missiles to Iraq in Warning to Enemies
PARIS/BAGHDADIran has given ballistic missiles to Shiite proxies in Iraq and is developing the capacity to build more there to deter attacks on its interests in the Middle East and to give it the means to hit regional foes, Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources said.
Any sign that Iran is preparing a more aggressive missile policy in Iraq would embarrass France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The three European nations have been trying to salvage the nuclear deal ditched by U.S. President Donald Trump, despite new U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
According to three Iranian officials, two Iraqi intelligence sources and two Western intelligence sources, Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to allies in Iraq over the last few months. Five of the officials said it was helping those groups to start making their own.
The logic was to have a backup plan if Iran was attacked, one senior Iranian official told Reuters. The number of missiles is not high, just a couple of dozen, but it can be increased if necessary.
Iran has previously said its ballistic missile activities are purely defensive in nature. Iranian officials declined to comment when asked about the latest moves.
The Iraqi government and military both declined to comment.
The Zelzal, Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar missiles in question have ranges of about 200 km to 700 km, putting Saudi Arabias capital Riyadh or the Israeli city of Tel Aviv within striking distance if the weapons were deployed in southern or western Iraq.
The Quds Force, the overseas arm of Irans powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has bases in both those areas. Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani is overseeing the program, three of the sources said.
Western countries have already accused Iran of transferring missiles and technology to Syria and other allies of Tehran, such as Houthi rebels in Yemen and Lebanons Hezbollah.
Irans Sunni Muslim Gulf neighbors and its arch-enemy Israel have expressed concerns about Tehrans regional activities, seeing it as a threat to their security.
Israeli officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the missile transfers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that anybody that threatened to wipe Israel out would put themselves in a similar danger.
Missile Production Line
The Western source said the number of missiles was in the 10s and that the transfers were designed to send a warning to the United States and Israel, especially after air raids on Iranian troops in Syria. The United States has a significant military presence in Iraq.
It seems Iran has been turning Iraq into its forward missile base, the Western source said.
The Iranian sources and one Iraqi intelligence source said a decision was made some 18 months ago to use militias to produce missiles in Iraq, but activity had ramped up in the last few months, including with the arrival of missile launchers.
We have bases like that in many places and Iraq is one of them. If America attacks us, our friends will attack Americas interests and its allies in the region, said a senior IRGC commander who served during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
The Western source and the Iraqi source said the factories being used to develop missiles in Iraq were in al-Zafaraniya, east of Baghdad, and Jurf al-Sakhar, north of Kerbala. One Iranian source said there was also a factory in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The areas are controlled by Shiite militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, one of the closest to Iran. Three sources said Iraqis had been trained in Iran as missile operators.
The Iraqi intelligence source said the al-Zafaraniya factory produced warheads and the ceramic of missile moulds under former President Saddam Hussein. It was reactivated by local Shiite groups in 2016 with Iranian assistance, the source said.
A team of Shiite engineers who used to work at the facility under Saddam were brought in, after being screened, to make it operational, the source said. He also said missiles had been tested near Jurf al-Sakhar.
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon declined to comment.
One U.S official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Tehran over the last few months has transferred missiles to groups in Iraq but could not confirm that those missiles had any launch capability from their current positions.
Washington has been pushing its allies to adopt a tough anti-Iran policy since it reimposed sanctions this month.
While the European signatories to the nuclear deal have so far balked at U.S. pressure, they have grown increasingly impatient over Irans ballistic missile program.
France in particular has bemoaned Iranian frenzy in developing and propagating missiles and wants Tehran to open negotiations over its ballistic weapons.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday that Iran was arming regional allies with rockets and allowing ballistic proliferation. Iran needs to avoid the temptation to be the (regional) hegemon, he said.
In March, the three nations proposed fresh EU sanctions on Iran over its missile activity, although they failed to push them through after opposition from some member states.
Such a proliferation of Iranian missile capabilities throughout the region is an additional and serious source of concern, a document from the three European countries said at the time.
Message to Foes
A regional intelligence source also said Iran was storing a number of ballistic missiles in areas of Iraq that were under effective Shiite control and had the capacity to launch them.
The source could not confirm that Iran has a missile production capacity in Iraq.
A second Iraqi intelligence official said Baghdad had been aware of the flow of Iranian missiles to Shiite militias to help fight Islamic State militants, but that shipments had continued after the hardline Sunni militant group was defeated.
It was clear to Iraqi intelligence that such a missile arsenal sent by Iran was not meant to fight Daesh (Islamic State) militants but as a pressure card Iran can use once involved in regional conflict, the official said.
The Iraqi source said it was difficult for the Iraqi government to stop or persuade the groups to go against Tehran.
We cant restrain militias from firing Iranian rockets because simply the firing button is not in our hands, its with Iranians who control the push button, he said.
Iran will definitely use the missiles it handed over to Iraqi militia it supports to send a strong message to its foes in the region and the United States that it has the ability to use Iraqi territories as a launch pad for its missiles to strike anywhere and anytime it decides, the Iraqi official said.
Iraqs parliament passed a law in 2016 to bring an assortment of Shiite militia groups known collectively as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) into the state apparatus. The militias report to Iraqs prime minister, who is a Shiite under the countrys unofficial governance system.
However, Iran still has a clear hand in coordinating the PMF leadership, which frequently meets and consults with Soleimani.
Man Arrested After Trying to Rob Bank
A 43-year-old Rio Vista man was arrested after allegedly trying to rob a bank in Daly City on the afternoon of Aug. 29, while threatening that he had an explosive device, police said.
Daniel Mann was arrested following the report of a bank robbery attempt at about 1:30 p.m. at the Bank of America at 7395 Mission Street, according to police.
Mann allegedly entered the bank and gave a note to a teller saying that he had an explosive device and would use it if he was not given money, police said.
The teller did not give any money to Mann, who fled the bank and then allegedly tried to carjack a nearby motorist. That attempt was unsuccessful and he ran away but was located and arrested by officers several blocks away, according to police.
Mann has been booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of bank robbery and other offenses, police said.
By Dan McMenamin
Monster Lizard Terrorizing Florida Family
A Florida family said it is being terrorized by a large Monitor lizard, according to local reports.
The lizard is about 7 feet long and weighs about 150 pounds, according to WESH-TV.
The family got the help of animal trappers, dogs, and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers to capture the lizard.
On the night of Aug. 26, the liard was at the back patio door scratching to get inside the house, said Zachary Lieberman, the homeowner, WESH-TV reported.
Its scary, he said, adding that he has not taken solace in the fact that Monitor lizards arent known to attack humans.
They swim. Its a water monitor. He can swim fast, run fast and get a hold of the kids fast, Lieberman told Local10. One bite from him and it could be devastating.
We havent captured it yet and weve been diligently trying, Lieberman told the Miami Herald. The FWC was out here and a couple of local trappers and Ive been out there and we thought we had a good lead on it today. We were tracking it down but came up empty handed.
It might have burrowed into the area, Lieberman, of Davie, said. The area Im at is heavily forested, a big preserve, so its got a lot of hiding places. Its not as easily accessible.
Monitor lizards are not native to the Americas and are considered an invasive species. Theyre found mostly in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
FWC spokesman Rob Klepper told Local10 that Asian water monitor lizards dont require a permit to have.
MS-13 Gangster Charged With Murder of Teen
A member of the notorious MS-13 street gang has been charged with murder after Nassau police officers recovered a buried body in East Meadow, New York.
Carlos Benitez-Hernandez, 21, of Uniondale, was one of five or more MS-13 gangsters who brutally hacked to death a young man using machetes in August 2017, News12 reported.
Benitez-Hernandez was arraigned on August 30 in First District Court in Hempstead on a charge of second-degree murder.
Detective Lieutenant Stephen Fitzpatrick, Commanding Officer of the Nassau County police department Homicide Squad, held a press conference on August 30 where he outlined the facts of the case.
Lt. Fitzpatrick described Benitez-Hernandez as a self-admitted MS-13 gang member. He said Benitez-Hernandez had a criminal history including gang assault, weapons charges and victim intimidation, Newsday reported.
The victims name has not yet been released but we believe we know who it is, said Lt. Fitzpatrick, adding that the teen had likely been killed because of MS-13s displeasure with his actions.
Benitez-Hernandez was free on parole on local charges but was in federal custody for an immigration violation at the time of his arraignment.
Lt. Fitzpatrick told News 12 that at least five people associated with the crime were already in custody.
Tip Reveals a Corpse
The body was recovered after someone called in a tip to Nassau County police to search near Kellenberg High School.
Nassau County detectives, working jointly with Homeland Security and the DEA, followed up on the tip and found the remains of a teenage male, according to a police report.
Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told the assembled reporters that the body was buried in a shallow grave in a wooded area, the Long Island Herald reported.
The Long Island Herald reported that this was the sixth time this year that police had discovered bodies of people killed by MS-13 gangsters.
Victims have been found in the woods between Freeport and Merrick, as well as Freeport and Massapequa, in New York.
Police say MS-13s preferred style of execution is to lure people into wooded areas and to hack them to pieces with knives and machetes, Long Island Herald reported.
Again we are reminded of the brutality of gang violence, said County Executive Laura Curran said at a news conference after the latest set of remains was recovered.
There are too many parents, too many families who have seen their children butchered by these gangs and this must stop.
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From NTD.tv
President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on route to West Virginia Aug. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Not the right time for Trade Negotiations with China, Says Trump
Having just reached a trade agreement with Mexico, the Trump administration is putting trade negotiations with China on the back burner for now.
On Aug. 27, the United States signed a new trade deal with Mexico to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, and negotiations with Canada are next, President Donald Trump said in a phone call with Mexican President Pena Nieto from the Oval Office.
Meanwhile, regarding China, its not the right time to talk, Trump said.
And as you know, we are workingunrelated to this (U.S.-Mexico trade deal)were working very much with other countries. China is one. They want to talk, and its just not right time to talk right now, to be honest, with China. Its been too one-sided for too many years, for too many decades, and so its not the right time to talk, he said, according to a White House transcript.
But eventually, Im sure that well be able to work out a deal with China. In the meantime, were doing very well with China.
Before the Mexico deal was reached, Larry Kudlow, who heads the White Houses National Economic Council, said China has been increasingly isolated in the trade arena, with Washington moving toward trade deals with the European Union and with Mexico, according to an Aug. 3 Reuters report.
We are coming together with the European Union to make a deal with them, so well have a united front against China and, I think, most of our trade team would tell you, were moving close on Mexico, he said. China is increasingly isolated with a weak economy.
Kudlow warned China not to underestimate Trumps resolve when it comes to trade.
In an interview with CNBC on Aug. 16, Kudlow said Chinas economy looks terrible, and investment there is collapsing.
He said the latest data showed that retail sales, business investment is collapsing and there may be some manipulation in the currency.
Investors are moving out of China because they dont like the economy, he added.
According to scholar and author He Qinglian, a widely respected expert on the Chinese economy who lives in the United States, the core issue for Washington is Chinas theft of U.S. intellectual property and using counterfeit goods to take U.S. companies market, and the Made in China 2025 initiative.
The initiative aims for China to become a major manufacturing power in direct competition with the United States and has been deemed threat to U.S. technological leadership by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
He Qinglian said that as long as the issue of intellectual property theft in particular is not resolved, it will be difficult for U.S.-China trade negotiations to achieve substantial progress.
Since Trump was elected, the United States has formed free trade partnerships with several countries, including those part of the European Union, Mexico, South Korea, and soon Canada. The one-on-one negotiations with these countries have formed a new type of alliance, representing a large part of the global market.
Ohio Sheriff Charges Two for Dumping Garbage in Wildlife Preserve
A sheriff in Ohio has announced that the two people seen on surveillance footage dumping garbage in a wildlife preserve have been identified and charged.
The Hocking County Sheriffs Office posted the surveillance video in July, asking members of the public to help them identify the couple seen dumping televisions, tires, and other trash in a forest off Sand Run Road, in the vicinity of the Sunday Creek State Wildlife Area.
If you have information on the identity of the two individuals, please contact the Hocking County Sheriffs Office at 740-385-2131 or by sending us a message, said the sheriffs office on Facebook.
The office said late Thursday, Aug. 30 that with assistance it had identified the suspects. The man and the woman have been charged with littering after being confronted by officers with the Ohio Division of Wildlife and confessing.
Littering and Another Charge
Based on tips we received as a direct result of this post, we identified the two individuals who were littering, the office said.
Corey Webb and Amanda Pyke, both of Perry County, were charged with littering on state property and operating a vehicle in a non-designated area, both of which are misdemeanors.
The Hocking County Sheriffs Office and the Ohio Division of Wildlife would like to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who assisted with identifying the pair, the office added.
Sunday Creek State Wildlife Area
The Sunday Creek Wildlife Area is part of the William H. ODowd Wildlife Area, according to the Athens Conservancy.
The entire area is 6,696 acres.
The Sunday Creek Wildlife Area was designated under a lease agreement with the Sunday Creek Coal Company; the state Division of Wildlife used federal money as well as a legacy from ODowd to purchase much of the Sunday Creek lands to establish the area.
From NTD.tv
Police Investigation Prompts Sig-Alert, Closure of Highway 680
A police investigation prompted the California Highway Patrol to close a section of northbound Interstate Highway 680 in San Jose early on Aug. 30.
The incident occurred just after 3 a.m., according to the CHP.
Officers initially responded to a location off the highway, but their investigation later prompted them to close down northbound Highway 680 between Capitol Expressway and Berryessa Road.
A Sig-alert was issued at 4:26 a.m.
Traffic is currently being diverted to Capitol Expressway or Jackson Avenue. Motorists can re-enter Highway 680 at Berryessa Road.
Further details about the nature of the investigation were not immediately available.
By db
Publix Recalls Ground Beef After E. Coli Outbreak
Popular southeastern supermarket chain Publix has recalled a wide range of ground beef products after learning that the meat might carry E. coli bacteria.
Publix is voluntarily recalling an undetermined number of ground beef products after 18 people became ill, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) press release.
The products, mostly burger patties and meatballs, were made from ground chuck possibly contaminated with of Escherichia coli O26 bacteria. The products were purchased between June 25 and July 31. Health officials are concerned that some customers might have frozen the meat and it still in their freezers.
The recall was announced on Aug. 31 USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said.
the FSIS was notified on Aug. 16 of an outbreak of E. coli infections, mostly involving Florida residents, which were reported between July 5 and July 25.
After a coordinated investigation by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state public health and agriculture partners, the source of the illness was pinpointed to ground chuck, both in bulk and in premade products, sold at Publix grocery stores in 24 Florida counties.
The source of the potentially contaminated beef has not yet been identified.
Symptoms, Treatment
E. coli O26 is a less common variety of the bacteria. It generally causes diarrhea, occasionally bloody, and vomiting. Symptoms usually pass in a week.
In most cases the recommended treatment is rehydration; antibiotics are generally not prescribed. Onset of symptoms generally begins within twoeight days after ingestion, with three to four days being average.
A dangerous kidney condition, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is sometimes associated with E. coli infection. This kidney condition usually affects children under 5, elderly people, or people with weakened immune systems. HUS is more frequently caused by the more common E. coli O157:H7 variant.
Symptoms of HUS include paleness, easy bruising, and decreased urine output. Anyone exhibiting these symptoms should get emergency medical care.
The FSIS advises everyone to cook ground beef to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and to measure that temperature with a meat thermometer; there is no other way to be certain all bacteria has been killed.
The FSIS further recommends that consumers take great care to wash their hands before and after handling food, and further to wash all cutting boards, countertops, pots, pans, containers, and utensils to prevent cross-contamination of other foods.
Call Publix With Questions
The FSIS has published a complete list of the potentially contaminated products, and also a list of the counties in Florida where affected stores are located.
Publix urges concerned customers to call the customer care department at 1-800-242-1227 or visit its website at www.publix.com/contactus.
The FSIS has its 24-hour Ask Karen information service at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov.
The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) in English and Spanish, can be reached Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem
The Publix supermarket chain, based in Lakeland, Florida, started in Winter Haven, Florida in 1930 and has grown to encompass 1191 stores in seven states, according to Publix.com.
All the stores are in the southeast, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The chain is in the top ten in volume in the nation.
From NTD.tv
Entertainer Meek Mill stands with his son Papi at halftime during the game between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on April 24, 2018. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Rapper Meek Mill Donates Thousands of Backpacks to Kids in Philadelphia
Rapper Meek Mill showed up at his alma mater, James G. Blaine Elementary School in Philadelphia, on the morning of Aug. 29, to give out backpacks and surprise the kids just in time for the back-to-school season.
According to TMZ, Meek Mill teamed up with Puma, sports apparel Fanatics, United Legwear and Phillys luxury store Milano Di Rogue to donate more than 6,000 backpacks to students in the city.
TMZ also reported that the backpacks have three different types, respectively for elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools students. The supplies within include pencil sharpeners, rulers, glue sticks and crayons for kids, with dry erase markers, notebooks, and pens for high schoolers.
Meek Mill told TMZ that he personally knows how it feels for families to struggle financially during this season because of memories that have stayed with him, making him dedicated to giving back to his hometown.
Seven Cars Crushed by 350-Year-Old Tree in California
A large chunk fell from a 350-year-old tree in California on Aug. 29, crushing seven vehicles.
The accident happened in Pleasant Hill on Wednesday night around midnight.
It sounded like a home run hit with a wooden bat, Audra Cudd-Wahle told KTVU.
The debris from the tree fell onto her property and the city told her its her responsibility to clean it up.
Cudd-Wahles red Chevy truck was one of the seven vehicles crushed by the tree.
A quiet neighborhood in Pleasant Hill awoke to discover a section of a massive oak tree fell and crushed several vehicles early Thursday morning. https://t.co/im9nSSlpen KPIX 5 (@KPIXtv) August 30, 2018
Devastating
Dave Wahle, Audras husband, told KPIX that his two work vehicles were crushed. One picture showed a pickup truck underneath a huge limb.
These are my two work vehicles that I use, said Wahle, a carpenter by trade. Its just devastating.
At first I thought it was an earthquake, Marianna Rumpf, who lives across from the tree, added. I thought there was a really bad accident.
This Oak tree is so special the city of Pleasant Hill named her & put a plaque on her. A section of the tree broke off overnight- damaging 7 cars. pic.twitter.com/dqgYtlMPrE Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) August 30, 2018
I thought it was a big huge car crash, Kate Bechtel, who lives about 50 yards away from the tree, told the San Jose Mercury News. I heard a lot of smashing metal, and then a horn that went off and just wouldnt stop.
My daughter came into my room in a state of panic, added across-the-street neighbor Lisa Kumpf. She heard the crash and the horn. We didnt know what was happening.
A 350 year old oak tree named Emma fell in Pleasant Hill overnight. The homeowner said it took out 61/2 cars but didnt damage the house or hurt anyone. pic.twitter.com/TUgUChC43i Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) August 30, 2018
Tree Should Be Removed
The cause of the chunk falling has not been identified.
A plaque on the tree states that it is a bicentennial heritage tree, which means its protected by the city. Any tree that is 16 inches in diameter or larger is protected.
Arborists said that tree is a hazard to area residents and that more damage could be done in the future. But homeowners in the area told ABC 7 that they were told by the city they couldnt trim the tree or chop it down without approval, because its protected.
Cudd-Wahle said she was granted permission to trim it once but was denied several other times.
However, Pleasant Hills maintenance supervisor, Mike Nielsen, told the broadcaster that its actually the homeowners responsibility as the tree is on their property.
Because an arborist told the family that the entire tree needs to be removed, Nielsen said the city will allow that but said the couple will have to pay for it with no help from the city.
From NTD.tv
Texas Man Accused of Stealing Teens MAGA Hat Indicted by Grand Jury
A Texas man caught on video cursing at a teenager after allegedly stealing the teens Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat has been indicted by a grand jury.
Kino Jimenez, 30, was identified by police officers after the victim published footage of the incident, which appears to show Jimenez taking a drink on the table and hurling it at the teen.
Jimenez then lets loose with a string of invectives as he walks toward the door of the Whataburger in San Antonio where the alleged crime occurred.
Jimenez has now been charged with Theft of Persona state felonyby a grand jury, reported KHOU.
Warning: Video contains profanities
So went out for a 2am snack and my friend (wearing a MAGA hat) had his hat stolen and a drink thrown in his face (and mine, you can see my arms on the left of the video) pic.twitter.com/B3QjBFIxPk Brax? (@brxpug) July 4, 2018
Became Upset
According to the arrest warrant, Jimenez approached the teen and his two friends around 2 a.m. on July 4 and asked him why he was wearing the MAGA hat, which is official President Donald Trump gear.
The teen told the suspect that wearing the hat was his way of supporting the president. That answer apparently angered Jimenez, prompting him to assault the teenager.
The teen said Jimenez grabbed the hat off of his head, prompting the teen to get his cell phone out and start recording. Thats when Jimenez tossed the cups contents at the victims face and left the restaurant with the hat.
Jimenez was arrested on July 6 after being identified. He was also fired from his job over the incident. The trial is set to start on Oct. 19.
#Update: Teen who made national news after having #MAGA hat stolen at a San Antonio fast food restaurant just got this in the mail. A hat signed by @realDonaldTrump. See the video: https://t.co/LAUcjERTNc @News4SA @KABBFOX29 pic.twitter.com/akzNSp4ps8 Joe Galli (@JoeGalliNews) July 11, 2018
Signed Hat by Trump
The assault gained nationwide attention, with the original video garnering over 11.5 million views, including from Donald Trump. Jr, one of the presidents sons.
If someone can get me this young mans information Ill get him a new #maga hat SIGNED by #potus!!! Trump Jr. said via Twitter on July 5.
The teenager was identified as 16-year-old Hunter Richards, who told News 4 that he would have had a civil conversation about the president with his assailant.
I support my President and if you dont lets have a conversation about it instead of ripping my hat off. I just think a conversation about politics is more productive for the entire whole rather than taking my hat and yelling subjective words to me, he said.
Richards later received a MAGA hat signed by President Trump.
Assaults of Trump Supporters
A number of incidents have arisen where Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats have been assaulted. During the same month, a teen visiting Seattle from elsewhere in Washington state posted video footage of a man with green hair knocking his MAGA hat off and spitting on it.
The latest took place in California this week, with a high school student ripping a hat off the head of her classmate before slapping a teacher who intervened.
Other incidents this year have included a teen visiting Seattle getting his hat knocked off and a Trump supporter wearing a MAGA hat being verbally attacked by employees at a Florida Cheesecake Factory.
From NTD.tv
Defendant Subhannah Wahhaj sits next to her defense attorney Megan Mitsunaga during a hearing in Taos County District Court in Taos County, New Mexico, U.S., August 28, 2018. (Eddie Moore/Reuters)
Three Released From Jail in New Mexico Compound Case
TAOS, N.M.Three people were released from jail in Taos, New Mexico, after a judge dismissed charges of child abuse at their desert compound where a toddlers body was found, a defense lawyer said.
Judge Emilio Chavez ordered charges to be dropped against Lucas Morton; his wife, Subhannah Wahhaj; and her sister Hujrah Wahhaj, because prosecutors had failed to follow a procedural rule after they were charged and jailed.
Theyre out now, said Megan Mitsunaga, a defense attorney for Subhannah Wahhaj.
The three still face a criminal trespassing case in magistrates court in Taos County for building their makeshift settlement on a plot of land near Amalia, New Mexico, that did not belong to them, Mitsunaga said. She said they had mistakenly built it there.
She said state prosecutors had not indicated whether they intended to file new charges against the three, who have been accused by police and prosecutors of planning attacks on schools.
Another New Mexico judge on Aug. 29 dismissed child abuse charges against two other defendants from the compound based on the prosecutions failure to follow court procedure.
The two, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj and his wife, Jany Leveille, are facing separate charges related to the death of Wahhajs 3-year-old son at the compound. They remained in custody.
The five defendants were arrested after an Aug. 3 police raid on their makeshift encampment in Amalia, New Mexico, after reports that their 11 children were starving. The children were taken into protective custody.
The body of 3-year-old Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj was found three days later in a tunnel at the compound.
The two judges received a storm of criticism on social media after they dismissed the abuse charges. Another judge received death threats for granting the defendants bail earlier this month.
The Taos County Sheriffs Office and prosecutors have described the defendants as extremists of the Muslim belief who were training their children to attack schools and other corrupt institutions. Police have not brought any charges in relation to those accusations.
Ibn Wahhaj and Leveille did not enter a plea on Aug. 29 on a separate charge that they caused Abdul Ghanis death by not giving him medication for seizures. Leveille, a Haitian national, is also being held on immigration charges.
Tom Clark, an attorney for Ibn Wahhaj, said the prosecution should just focus on the remaining charges against his client.
One of the big problems in this case is all the ancillary, inflammatory allegations, when really this case always should have been about a dead 4-year-old, said Clark.
State prosecutor Timothy Hasson declined to comment.
Abdul-Ghani was abducted from Wahhajs first wife in Georgia and died on Dec. 24, according to the Taos County Sheriffs office.
Top 5: Ambulance Arrives at White House to Attend to NSC Staffer
A South Korean man got his left forearm amputated after developing a fever and terrible pain hours after eating raw fish.
Man eats sushi, forced to get hand amputated https://t.co/ZbTLh8v2AX pic.twitter.com/S7Odncd2AG Dubai Informer (@Dubaiinformer) August 30, 2018
An ambulance arrived at the West Wing of the White House on Aug. 30, to attend to an emergency regarding a National Security Council (NSC) staffer.
Ambulance at the White House. Taking stretcher into the West Wing. pic.twitter.com/nmqYagH3VX Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 30, 2018
Police have found the mysterious woman who was captured on camera days earlier ringing a doorbell multiple times at 3 a.m. in a neighborhood in Montgomery, Texas.
Authorities in Ohio are looking for two people captured on surveillance video illegally dumping trash at a wildlife preserve area.
Sarah Palin, who was on John McCains 2008 presidential ticket as the vice presidential nominee, is not invited to McCains funeral, according to news reports.
Top 5: Couple Raised $400K for Homeless Man, Now He Is Suing Them Over the Money
A Texas man caught on video cursing at a teenager after allegedly stealing the teens Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat has been indicted by a grand jury.
Vanessa Marquez, a former actress on the hit 1990s show ER, was shot and killed by police in South Pasadena on Aug. 30.
'ER' Actress Vanessa Marquez Shot and Killed by Cops https://t.co/Z1Z3zNU0rK TMZ (@TMZ) August 31, 2018
Police in Ogden, Utah, released a bodycam video of an officer shooting a dog earlier in August, and officials have cleared the officer in question.
A couple who raised more than $400,000 for a homeless man that used his last $20 to fill up the gas tank of a stranded motorist in Philadelphia must now turn over whats left of the cash.
The woman who appeared in a surveillance video that sparked international headlines has spoken to police.
Trump Rallies in Indiana for Senate Hopeful Mike Braun
EVANSVILLE, Ind.President Donald Trump continued his string of recent midterm election endorsements at a rally in Evansville, Indiana, on Aug. 30.
Inside the packed Ford Center, Trump campaigned for Republican businessman Mike Braun, who is attempting to unseat vulnerable Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly. The race is seen as one of the most competitive Senate races nationally.
At the start of his speech, Trump praised Indiana and touted the nations economic growth, We are putting your great Indiana coal miners and steelworkers back to work.
He called the new trade deal with Mexico beautiful, while adding that Canada doesnt treat us fairly.
At multiple points during his speech, the crowd broke into cheers of support and chants of USA! USA!
Braun is the founder and CEO of Meyer Distributing and owner of Meyer Logistics. His campaign website says he has employed thousands of people across the lower 48 states. Earlier in the day, Trump called Braun a very successful businessman on Twitter.
Hes a special man and hes going to be a truly great senator, Trump said, as he invited Braun on stage to speak.
Braun responded by praising Trump and called on voters to help him unseat Donnelly.
This man makes promises and keeps them, Braun said of Trump. And he needs a true ally, not someone who says something when your in Indiana and does something different in D.C. Im not going there for the pay or the perks or the pensions they get Im going there to make this man have an ally.
Braun, with the audience joining in, chanted: Joes gotta go!, Joes gotta go!
Trump talked about the fake news media, following on from his many tweets on the subject in recent days. He also called out social media companies, including Google for rigged search algorithms that he said favored liberal media over conservative.
The president criticized the Democratic Party for obstruction.
We need Republicans in Congress, Trump said. The so-called resistance is mad because their ideas are being rejected by the American people. We are getting rid of those ideas so fast and it is driving them crazy.
A vote for Mikes opponent sleepy Joe is a vote for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and who else? Maxine Waters, Trump said.
The president plans to spend more than 40 days campaigning for Republicans in the lead-up to the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
NORWALK The first day of school was uneventful as far as Norwalk school buses were concerned, but the second day did not go as smoothly as 18 school buses were broken into overnight Wednesday and nearly $2,000 worth of equipment was stolen, according to police.
Officers responded to the ECS Transportation bus yard at 6:11 a.m. Thursday morning on reports of multiple motor vehicle break-ins.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- President Donald Trump sweeps into the Ford Center here Thursday evening to rally support for Republican Mike Braun's bid to unseat Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.
But ahead of the event, there was no love lost among attendees for the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who died of brain cancer Saturday at age 81.
McCain frequently sparred with Trump on foreign policy, immigration and other issues and was particularly critical of the president's friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Jane Stinson of Newburgh, Indiana, supported McCain during his presidential run in 2008. But Stinson, who described herself as an ardent Trump supporter and recent subscriber to the QAnon conspiracy theory, said she was disappointed by McCain in recent years.
"He sold out the American people on health care," she said, visibly upset as she remembered McCain's vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act. "He went against everything I stand for."
She described Trump as a "breath of fresh air" who she praised for improving the economy, tightening borders and supporting Christians.
"America is winning," said Stinson, who sported a "Q" T-shirt and a "Make America Great Again" hat.
Sitting on a bench across from Stinson was her younger brother, David Goben, a retired ironworker and lifelong Democrat who said he supports Trump because he is good for the economy and is "bringing Christian values back."
But Goben, 60, said Trump "could have done a better job" acknowledging McCain's death.
"He was a patriotic hero, an American hero. . . . Trump could have said that," Goben said. "Even if McCain was on a roller-coaster with his decisions - some right, some left, some very far right or left."
Kim Albin, who arrived with a lawn chair outside the Ford Center on Thursday morning, said she is confident that the wait to see Trump will be "well worth it, because he is taking care of America."
Albin, a retired accountant who describes herself as a lifelong conservative, said she stopped supporting McCain in recent years because "he wavered in his conservative values."
"Trump, on the other hand, is the people's president," said Albin, 62, of Bristow, Indiana. She cited the job growth her community has seen since Trump took office and Trump's emphasis on border security as reasons for her support.
"He's not a career politician - he can't be bought," she said.
Some of those waiting to see Trump defended the president's response to McCain's death, even as lawmakers of both parties as well as the American Legion sharply criticized Trump for issuing a belated statement honoring McCain and only begrudgingly making the decision to return flags to half-staff until the senator's interment.
Bob Slayton, a retired college dean from Vincennes, Indiana, said he thought Trump's response to McCain's death was "very respectful."
"I didn't want to see him gush about McCain," said Slayton, 73, noting that Trump and the late senator did not get along and shared a similar stubbornness.
Slayton said he "liked McCain - he was a war hero, and he was irascible" - but wishes he had done more to embrace Trump supporters.
Citing McCain's comment in 2015 that Trump "fired up the crazies" at a Phoenix, Arizona, rally, Slayton said he thought McCain "was the first to rush to the mic to bash his own base."
"Trump defends us," he said. "We're not all a bunch of rednecks."
Others acknowledged that Trump's initial response to McCain's death was lacking.
John Brown, a retired coal miner and Navy veteran, said that although he disagreed with McCain on some things - such as his vote against repealing Obamacare - he thinks the late senator was "a very dedicated person and will be remembered as a patriot."
He grimaced when asked about Trump's response to McCain's death.
"He did all right," said Brown, 73, who served in Vietnam, as did McCain. "He was a little slow, but he did the right thing in the end - and he and John really didn't get along."
WASHINGTON - For a while there, the Senate's flagship bill to help states improve election security appeared to be gaining steam. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle signed onto it. And an unlikely coalition of former national security officials, technologists and public policy groups urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.
But the Secure Elections Act stalled last week after the Senate Rules Committee canceled a key vote on the legislation at the last minute - and now its future is uncertain. Some Republicans who seemed poised to support the bill balked after the White House raised concerns about giving the federal government too much authority in election administration, while state officials objected to some of its requirements. Election security experts, meanwhile, worry the legislation is getting too watered down.
The delay highlights the tension at the core of the debate over how to best secure the country's elections as officials warn about Russia's ongoing campaign to disrupt U.S. politics. And the lack of progress in Congress underscores how difficult it is for lawmakers to balance competing concerns from state election administrators to national security officials to voting integrity groups.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who introduced the bill with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said the Secure Elections Act isn't dead - there are just some kinks to work out.
"This is an important bill that I will not let fail. I look forward to working with Members and groups that have technical concerns with the text ... as we continue to walk through its passage," he told me in an email.
But the hang-up significantly dims hopes the legislation will pass before the November midterms. Here are three issues lawmakers are grappling with:
1. The White House isn't keen on the bill.
The bill would give the Department of Homeland Security a greater role in election security by putting DHS in charge of sharing election cybersecurity threats with states and allowing the secretary to appoint an advisory panel to recommend improvements for states. It would also require states to audit the results of their elections and encourage them to use paper ballots instead of digital machines. But state officials would get security clearances.
But the White House is skeptical. "We cannot support legislation with inappropriate mandates or that moves power or funding from the states to Washington for the planning and operation of elections," White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters told Yahoo News after last week's vote was postponed. If lawmakers press forward, she said, they should avoid "the imposition of unnecessary requirements" and "not violate the principles of Federalism."
The administration isn't out to sink the bill, Lankford told me, saying that he had "multiple conversations with the White House" over the weekend about it.
2. State officials have reservations.
Questions about whether the bill gives the federal government too big of a role in elections have hounded the bill since its early stages. Lankford and Klobuchar have gone out of their way to address the concerns, meeting with secretaries of state and tweaking the legislation based on their input. But they haven't won over everyone.
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos, a Democrat who heads the National Association of Secretaries of State, told me he's eager to see the legislation pass but objects to the bill's requirement that states conduct post-election audits because it doesn't include any funding to carry them out. "I believe that audits are a best practice, as I do paper ballots," he said. But "funding needs to be part of this."
Other state election officials have raised their concerns privately, reaching out to their senators "with feedback on specific provisions of the legislation," said Maria Benson, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State. The organization hasn't taken a public position on the legislation, but, Benson said, "we look forward to continued positive discussions."
3. Policy experts say the bill doesn't go far enough.
A previous version of the legislation would have required that states audit their election results "by hand and not by device." In practice, that means conducting the rigorous paper-based audits that election security experts advocate, rather than software-based reviews. But lawmakers excluded that language in the latest version of the bill, leading prominent election integrity organizations such as Verified Voting to pull their support.
Jake Laperruque of the watchdog Project on Government Oversight said the move was designed to appease opponents who thought the audit requirement was too strong. The organization called on lawmakers to restore the original language, in a letter that was co-signed by groups including FreedomWorks, Americans for Tax Reform and the Brennan Center.
"What's surprising about the delay on [the bill] is that it had accounted for many of the challenges that often inhibit election security measures from Congress," Laperruque told me. "It was bipartisan. It had support from groups that are strong federalism advocates like Freedom Works and [Americans for Tax Reform].
But Laperruque argues the committee markup of the legislation weakened the bill in a way objected to by tech and security experts in order to appease state officials. "It's hard to think of legitimate reasons for this," he contended.
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Thursday that Iran continues to comply with the terms of a 2015 nuclear pact, despite the United States' withdrawal from the deal and renewed sanctions that have contributed to an economic crisis.
The International Atomic Energy Agency certified that Tehran is complying with restrictions on its enrichment of uranium and uranium stocks in addition to other provisions, according to a confidential IAEA report reviewed by The Associated Press and Reuters on Thursday. It is the 12th consecutive report affirming Iran's adherence to the deal that President Donald Trump formally rejected in May by withdrawing from it and reimposing sanctions on Tehran.
Trump has long been a critic of the deal and repeatedly pledged to abandon it during his presidential campaign. His administration said reneging on the nuclear accord was designed to pressure Iran into dropping its support of militant groups, reining in its ballistic missile programs and improving its human rights record.
A first batch of sanctions targeting Iran's trade in precious metals, car parts and other smaller imports - in addition to prohibiting its use of U.S. dollars - went into effect this month, provoking an exodus of international firms from Iran and contributing to a dramatic decline in the value of Iran's currency.
The historic collapse of the rial has caused prices of everything from food to air travel to soar and has resulted in shortages of medicines, heaping pressure on the administration of President Hassan Rouhani. His signature achievement was the signing of the nuclear accord and its promise of opening Iran to the world economy; now the unraveling of that accord has focused a harsh light on his leadership and resulted in the dismissal of two key economic ministers by parliament.
In November, a second round of U.S. sanctions banning the import of Iranian oil, a critical source of income for Tehran, will take hold and is expected to further contract the nation's struggling economy. The United States has told allies in Asia and Europe that it expects them to also reduce imports of Iranian oil to zero, threatening secondary sanctions on international companies that defy the demand.
Some American allies, notably India, have balked at reducing or stopping oil purchases from Iran.
It remains unclear whether the IAEA report will aid efforts by the deal's European signatories - Germany, France and Britain - to save it amid punishing American sanctions. But both Iran and European nations have signaled that maintaining the terms of the accord as they are is unlikely.
On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Iran must be willing to expand discussions in order to salvage the deal and answer for its ballistic missile program and its role in Middle Eastern conflicts, according to Agence France-Presse.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday that he doubts Europe will be able to rescue the accord and that Iran may abandon it.
On Thursday, he again expressed his vehement opposition to the possibility of talks with Washington -- a prospect that Trump has raised. Khamenei's series of tweets appeared to quash speculation about a meeting between Trump and Rouhani on the sideline of next month's U.N. General Assembly in New York.
In President Donald Trumps defense, erasing the Obama Administrations strict emissions standards for coal-powered electric plants embraces the concept of putting authority in the hands of individual states.
That approach is appropriate on some issues. The environment is not one of them. Its akin to letting a smoker decide if they will light up in front of a non-smoker. Selfish urges have a habit of cutting the line ahead of compassion.
The air we breathe scoffs at boundaries. So, while Connecticut could remain proper stewards of appropriate standards, nothing would stop Midwestern states with strong coal-industry lobbyists from sending smog our way.
President Trump continues to cave to the will of polluters ... Trumps own EPA estimates that as many as 1,400 people per year will die prematurely because of the increased pollution caused by this backwards rule, and as a downwind state Connecticut will be disproportionately affected, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy countered.
Its predictable outrage from the governor over the presidents policies and will surely land with all the power of a snowball in an August heat wave.
Trumps reasoning has been that intrusive Environmental Protection Agency regulations kill jobs.
Our reasoning is that a lack of them kills people.
President Barack Obamas vision was to reduce emissions by one-third and replace coal with cleaner energy solutions by 2030. New England has remained on a steady path to that goal. The closure of Connecticuts last coal-fired power-generating plant along Bridgeport Harbor should be recognized as a sign of progress.
Trumps team is squarely on the side of (in his words) beautiful, clean coal, starting with former industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, who now holds the title of EPA administrator.
The Trump Administration is also trying to pump the brakes on Obamas efforts to boost fuel efficiency and reduce global warming emissions from our cars and trucks. If the air feels just a little warmer, a little thicker, in these final days of August, just remember that our vehicles are helping to overheat the planet.
Leah Lopez-Schmalz, chief program officer for Connecticut Fund for the Environment, echoed Malloys anger, accusing Trumps emissions plan of potentially leading to premature deaths, thousands of additional asthma attacks and lost school days.
The policies are a threat to Americas most vulnerable citizens, its children and its seniors, as exposure to air pollution contributes to health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.
The United States cant prevent fumes from crossing our borders even a wall couldnt do that but we can sustain practical policies to contribute to a healthier planet.
With coal states decrying the Obama regulations as overreach, our 50 states can never be expected to clear the air. Theres too much money involved.
This appeared in Friday's Washington Post.
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Anyone who has ever filled out the U.S. government's Standard Form 86, "Questionnaire for National Security Positions," can attest that it is intrusive, requiring answers to 136 pages of probing questions about finances, medical history and family. People submit to this because they want to serve the country, often in positions handling classified information.
The use of an SF86 to score points during a congressional campaign is outrageous and worrisome. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., filled out the SF86 while applying for positions at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, and at the CIA. She worked for a time at the postal agency while waiting for her CIA clearance. Then she served as a covert CIA case officer overseas for eight years.
Spanberger says in an Aug. 28 letter that the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., obtained and circulated a copy of her SF86 "for political purposes." The CLF has been trying to call attention to the fact that she worked at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia, saying it "produced a number of well-known terrorists."
Spanberger said she has nothing to hide: She had a temporary job at the school teaching English. And she is right to be angry about the release. She claims there is "clear evidence" the CLF shared her form with a news organization. The CLF said the form was obtained "through legal channels" from America Rising, a political action committee that produces opposition research on Democrats. But its account is questionable.
According to the CLF, America Rising obtained Spanberger's SF86 with a July 9 Freedom of Information Act request to the National Archives, which gave the request to the Postal Service. A document the CLF posted on its website shows the Postal Service released the entire personnel file of Spanberger - including the sensitive SF86 - on July 30. Oddly, however, it lacks any mention of FOIA.
Something is rotten here. The CLF should have known better than to weaponize confidential personnel records used in national security vetting. The process of collecting, maintaining and disclosing information on the forms is protected by the Privacy Act; the document simply should not have been made public. It is inexplicable that the Postal Service granted such a FOIA request; on Thursday, a spokesman attributed it to "human error." Those who fill out the SF86 are assured on its second page that "the information will be protected from unauthorized disclosure." In the case of Spanberger, this pledge was grossly violated.
When China managed to steal millions of these forms in a cyberattack a few years ago, it was alarming. The use of Spanberger's form is equally so. It sends a terrible message to people who hold, and who want to apply for, national security positions. Ryan should investigate what happened and punish those who exploited the national security personnel process for cheap political advantage.
WILTON A Harwinton man allegedly stole a piece of equipment worth more than $50,000 from a public works yard overnight, police said.
Officers responded to the Department of Public Works yard at Allens Field around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18 on reports of a forced entry. The property, which was secured by a gate under lock and chain, had been broken into overnight and an expensive piece of an equipment, called a Vibroscreen, was stolen, police said
Police later learned that a suspect vehicle had been seen that morning between 6-7 a.m., driving on Routes 107 and 53 in Wilton and Redding with the stolen equipment in tow.
The vehicle in question was later traced back to Ronald Conroy, 43, of Hill Road, Harwinton.
With the assistance of Connecticut State Police, detectives tracked Conroy to his Harwinton residence. On Aug. 24, a team of state police and Wilton officers executed a search and seizure warrant on Conroys home and recovered the stolen equipment.
Conroy was later arrested on a warrant and taken into custody on Aug. 29.
The 43-year-old was charged with first-degree larceny. He was held on a $75,000 bond, and he was given a court date of Oct. 3.
GRANITE CITY Several hundred steelworkers and supporters rallied outside of U.S. Steel-Granite City Works Thursday in support of a fair contract now being negotiated in Pittsburgh.
The master contract between U.S. Steel and the United Steelworkers of America covering all the companys facilities expires Sept. 1, and while there was some talk about pickets and a possible strike at the rally, no such action is planned at this point. Numerous rallies, though, were held at U.S. Steel sites around the country, according to union officials.
There were a few short speeches at the rally, and a lot of chanting calling for a fair contract and union power.
This comes as the plant, which has been largely idled since late 2015, has been ramping up to full production again and hiring new workers.
The rally was held on Nash Street on the parking lot across from the Nash Street Gate. It was timed to take advantage of the shift change.
Brian Frensko, of Benld, was among those steelworkers in attendance. He has been working at the plant for 31 years and said their demands are simple.
We want a fair contract, he said.
Frensko was laid off for about 7 months in 2008-2009, but was only off work for a short time during the last shut-down.
I was one of the luckier ones, he said. I was working in the finishing department and I was laid off for about a month. Weve been running ever since.
We have a good bunch of people here and we deserve a good contract, he said.
Negotiations have been ongoing since early July.
Tom Ryan, Grievance Committee chairman for USW Local 1899, has been a part of the negotiations in Pittsburgh, but came home several weeks ago.
It was going slow, he said of the negotiations. We went up later than we normally do. We were meeting and doing our normal business but there was not a lot going on by the time I came home.
He said U.S. Steel had given some indications of what they were looking for.
But it wasnt popular, Ryan said. More than anything, in our opinion, this works out to be a concessionary contract with some promises built in that are unsubstantiated.
He also noted the company wants a seven-year contract, which is about twice as long as previous agreements.
Dave Dowling, director of USW Sub-district two, which includes Granite City, said before the rally that healthcare benefits and pay are two major stumbling blocks.
He said the current proposal calls for major concessions for both current and retired employees. It includes a two-tier structure for future hires, and it includes a radical transformation of the compensation system for employees.
Both Ryan and Dowling said the contract calls for some increases in the base wage over the first three years, then no increases for four years. Instead, there would be some kind of an incentive bonus.
Our members have not had a wage increase for the last three years, Dowling said. We did that in recognition of the circumstances faced by the steel industry three years ago. These are different times.
He said analysts are predicting the next few years will be very profitable for U.S. Steel. Part of that is based on tax cuts, and tariffs.
Its an industry thats poised to be very, very profitable, and for reasons we dont understand the company has chosen this moment to pick a fight, Dowling said.
Ryan said ultimately the contract is unreasonable.
In the long run theyll say Were giving you a raise but the money we will put out of pocket for health insurance will more than absorb that pay increase, he said.
In a written statement, U.S. Steel spokeswoman Meghan M. Cox said the company intends to continue negotiating.
Talks have been ongoing and we will work diligently to keep bargaining in good faith to reach an agreement, she said in an emailed response to questions. As with previous contract negotiations, our facilities will continue to operate in a safe and orderly manner. We hope to come to a mutually agreeable conclusion.
Workers were told by union officials to continue working past the end of the contract Saturday, and would be informed of any developments.
Dowling said negotiations were expected to continue through the Labor Day weekend.
Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.
EDWARDSVILLE Several teachers, parents and community members attended the Edwardsville District 7 general board meeting Monday night to either encourage the board to seek their input in hiring the next superintendent or question the boards intent to hire the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Executive Search to assist with the superintendent replacement.
The hot topic of the evening centered around the possible hiring of the IASB to assist in the search for a replacement for current Superintendent Lynda Andre, who will be retiring at the end of this school year.
At the Aug. 13 general school board meeting, representatives from the IASB had made an informational presentation outlining the services they could provide. The board did not take action on the proposal at that time, but the item was placed on the action considerations for the Aug. 22 meeting, which drew considerable interest from teachers, parents and community members.
During the beginning of every District 7 general meeting, audience members have the opportunity to approach the podium and make any comments to the board.
Monday night four people John McDole, Nelson Elementary School PTO Treasurer; Beth Duncan, Edwardsville Education Association Co-President; and two parents who were instrumental on the Prop E committee, Katie Robberson and Chantal Chandler made comments to the board.
Duncan represented the teachers, several of which were present at the meeting. She stressed that they would like to be invested in the process of hiring new administration including the superintendent, and she offered a solution for teachers to provide input. If you choose to employ the services of IASB, please consider that the teacher focus group is volunteering this evening to work with the board without the need of any additional of costs to IASB for this service, Duncan said. This offer is made in an effort to reduce overall costs to the district while making the candidate selections and ultimately in the selection of the new superintendent and new administrators. Several of us have previous experience in participating in this type of interview process and would be willing to share this experience and knowledge with the board.
McDole asked several questions about the possible hiring of the IASB such as if bids for other search firms had been solicited as well as details about the projected IASB costs.
In addition, he asked if the search for a replacement would be initiated in several states or nationally. Personally I feel that even the most astute administrator that is from out of state would have a hard time understanding the true context of what it takes to be a superintendent in the state of Illinois, let alone in a southern Illinois district with an incredible amount of success and potential, albeit with significant financial concerns, McDole said. I would even contend that a search for the replacement needs to reside south of Springfield or more specifically in the Metro East. So a local would have a better grasp of what Dr. Andre has had to deal with in the last three years and how her district evolved before her time as superintendent. Also Id very much like to see if there was anyone of high quality in the district currently.
Both Robberson and Chandler, who are District 7 Citizens Advisory Committee members, emphasized the importance of the new superintendent following through on the Prop E promises and the four-year plan of stabilizing the districts finances and maintaining educational excellence. They also stressed the importance of community involvement in the process for hiring a new superintendent, and they requested that the board include the CAC as well as a community committee in the search process.
Later in the meeting, when the action item of hiring the IASB was discussed, Monica Laurent, Edwardsville District 7 Board President, emphasized that the board was considering the IASB because its process includes gathering input from stakeholders. She answered specific questions brought up by the four individuals who spoke earlier and allowed representatives from the IASB to field questions from the board members regarding the IASBs search process.
The board eventually approved a contract with IASB to provide an executive search for the superintendent.
Paul Pitts was the only school board member to vote against hiring the IASB, stating that he felt an internal search would provide the best superintendent candidate.
The U.S. Justice Department is transferring former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schocks public corruption case in central Illinois to a new prosecutorial team in another judicial district, prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday, two weeks after the trial judge was bumped from all of his criminal cases for commenting in emails about a trial he was overseeing.
The prosecutors filing doesnt specify which U.S. attorneys office will take over the Peoria Republicans case, but the one in Chicago may be the most likely to get it. The judge newly assigned to the case, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, is based in Chicago. The prosecutions filing suggests the process of switching out the old prosecutors for new ones has begun.
Schock, who gained notoriety for redecorating his Capitol Hill office in the style of the Downton Abbey TV series, was indicted in 2016, and the U.S. attorneys office in Springfield had handled the case since then. Handing a case from one U.S. attorneys office to another when proceedings are so far along is rare.
Transferring it to the Chicago office could make sense because of the depth of its experience, said Jeffery Cramer, a former federal prosecutor and now managing director at Berkeley Research Group. Chicago federal prosecutors have convicted a long list of Illinois politicians, including former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Schock, 37, has pleaded not guilty to all 22 counts he faces, which include wire fraud and falsification of election commission filings.
In an emailed statement Thursday, defense attorney George J. Terwilliger III didnt object to the move.
This case should have been over before it began, he said. Nonetheless, we welcome the opportunity new prosecutors will now have to evaluate the matter.
The U.S. attorney office in Springfield declined comment.
Thursdays filing said new prosecutors would need time to familiarize themselves with Schocks case. The two-page document offers few details, including whether prosecutors believe the trial scheduled for Jan. 28 might have to be delayed.
In a brief posting later Thursday, Kennelly denied a government request to delay a hearing today in Urbana, some 100 miles southwest of Chicago. He said hed consider at the hearing a prosecution request to place a temporary freeze on trial-related filings until a new set of prosecutors can read up on the case.
The replaced judge, Urbana-based U.S. District Judge Colin Bruce, sent emails to a paralegal at the U.S. attorneys office about a 2016 parental kidnapping trial as he was presiding over it, court filings earlier this month reveal. In one, he criticized how a prosecutor questioned a witness, saying, This trial went from slam-dunk for the prosecution to about 60-40 for the defendant.
Bruce characterized the emails as innocuous.
Municipal clerks in mid-Michigan and across the state are sorting through the largest Freedom of Information Act request theyve ever received as Novembers election duties loom.
The request is unusually large and burdensome and will likely require costly time commitments, prompting many municipalities to as for deadline extensions and seek legal advice.
The letters and emails were sent by Emily, -who did not include a last name or signature- asking for paper copies of all ballots cast and counted in the 2016 general election.
Copies of all absentee and provisional ballots were also requested along with any related materials containing the names of individuals that cast ballots, such as voter rolls or absentee ballot envelopes.
Requested records are to be sent to the United Impact Group, LLC, via a post office box in Astoria, N.Y.
The vague nature of the requests raised eyebrows for many officials who wanted a last name of the requestor and a partial payment down on the large request.
It wasnt until this week that the mystery surrounding who Emily is and who she might work for was solved, when a voting rights nonprofit affiliated with a Democratic super PAC told the Detroit News it filed the public records requests across the state.
In Isabella countys Denver Township, Clerk Tammy L. Prout has filed for the 10-day extension on the FOIA request and like many, has sought direction from the townships attorney.
It is a strange FOIA request to get a letter without an official title and just a first name, Prout said.
Even if Emily is now identified as working for a specific entity, the process of fulfilling the request is enormous, Prout said.
The ballots are too large to be copied in the office, and the law requires that they are within the possession of the clerk.
does that mean I take them to a printing place and be on site attending to them? Im not sure, and thats where our attorney will come in, she said.
In Gratiot County, township clerks are figuring the costs of extra paper to copy one 22-inch ballot onto multiple sheets, said County Clerk Angie Thompson.
In the metro Detroit area and Oakland County, clerks are finding alternate responses to the same issues.
Sue Camilleri, Waterford Townships clerk, which had 36,472 ballots cast in 2016, said the request seems pointless.
Her office rejected a portion of the request seeking copies of submitted ballots because their copy machines cannot handle the 19-inch long ballots. She said Emily has the option of coming to the office to view each submitted ballot one-by-one with a member of her staff.
Not only would clerks have to make copies of all submitted ballots, but redactions would be made to various materials to ensure private information is not released.
That includes voters signatures on absentee ballot envelopes adding more time -and money- to the process.
The timing of the request -two months before the November election- has some clerks frustrated as well.
According to federal law, ballots cast during an election for federal office must be preserved for at least 22 months. These ballots were scheduled for disposal on Sept. 8. With an open FOIA request, that will be postponed.
Its strange we have a 22 month retention period and were close to that date so yes. The timing is something you wonder about too, Prout said.
Fred Woodhams, communications director for the Secretary of State, said state elections staff has provided guidance to local clerks to ensure that ballot copies are completely anonymous and cant be tied to a specific voter.
The Board of Elections and the Township Association have also offered guidance to clerks trying to balance fulfilling the law and protecting the integrity of the records.
We got some direction there and most of is were advised to go through our attorneys, Proud said. Right now were still in the dark.
Home >Police Enforcement > Seizure/Confiscation > Utah Supreme Court Sides With Motorist Who Had Cash Seized
Crypto crime tipped to go through roof
BANGKOK: Crimes involving cryptocurrencies are expected to increase in the near future as Thailand is still badly in need of personnel equipped with knowledge and modern technology to deal with cybercrime, a seminar was told yesterday (Aug 30).
crimetechnology
By Bangkok Post
Friday 31 August 2018, 08:47AM
his photo illustration shows a Vietnamese cryptocurrency investor looking at a world coin index on a smartphone in Hanoi on April 12, 2018. Photo: Nhac Nguyen / AFP
Kittipong Kittayarak, the executive director of the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), said that a collaborative study carried out by the TIJ and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute shows that nefarious activities involving transnational organised crime are rising in Thailand.
They include ID cards and travel document forgery, money laundering, drug smuggling, human trafficking, call centre scams, and credit card information theft.
The study also identifies challenges faced by Thai agencies involved in the justice system.
This includes human resource constraints, a lack of effective inter-agency communication due to officials lack of proficiency in foreign languages, and bureaucratic red tape, said Mr Kittipong, a former permanent secretary for justice.
At a seminar titled Advancing the Economy and Combating Crime in the Digital Age: Cryptocurrency and Crime, which was jointly held by the TIJ and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr Kittipong said Thailand still needs to work on developing technologies and innovations as tools to combat transnational crimes, particularly cybercrime involving the use of cryptocurrencies.
He said the UNODC has revealed that many criminal gangs have used cryptocurrencies to launder money and provide financial support for terrorists.
Cryptocurrencies have also been used to pay kidnap ransoms, and buy child pornography, illicit drugs, malware and firearms on the dark web, whose popularity is rising among criminal gangs, Mr Kittipong said.
Currently, there are not many criminal cases involving cryptocurrencies, but such crimes are expected to rise quickly in the near future, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Prajin Juntong said the government has set up the National Cyber Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
However, he admitted that the committee still lacks knowledge and the experience to administer computer servers. It is necessary to learn and build up networks to work together to prevent cybercrime, he said.
Julien Garsany, the UNODCs deputy regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said that more than 6 billion cybercrime cases occur in the region annually.
Criminal gangs have reaped B100 billion of profits from illegal transactions, while causing about B150bn of damage to the regional economy each year, Mr Garsany said.
A recent bitcoin scandal in which a Finnish investor and a Thai businesswoman were swindled out of almost B800 million worth of bitcoins is a case in point.
The Crime Suppression Division has pressed fraud charges against five suspects, which include 27-year-old actor Jiratpisit Boom Jaravijit, and his brother Prinya Jiratpisit who according to police, masterminded the scam. Bitcoins were used to buy stocks which the victims claimed they never received.
Prinya reportedly fled to the US just as the scam came to public attention.
Read original story here.
Graft-busting student recruited by anti-corruption office
KHON KAEN: The university student who exposed nationwide embezzlement in the distribution of financial aid for the destitute has accepted the offer of a job at the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commissions Khon Kaen office.
By Bangkok Post
Friday 31 August 2018, 05:09PM
Panida Bam Yotpanya, 23, who as a university student exposed systemic graft in the handling of state funds for the destitute, has been recruited by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, to work in its Khon Kaen regional Office. Photo: Chakrrapan Natanri
Panida Bam Yotpanya, 23, who recently graduated from Maha Sarakham Universitys humanities and social science faculty, revealed her good news today (Aug 31).
She said a member of Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngams working group had recently phoned her and asked what type of government work she would be interested in if there was no vacancy for her at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.
The caller said there were vacant positions at other government agencies, such as the PACCs office in Khon Kaen if she was interested.
Ms Panida said she was delighted at the prospect of working at the PACC, and she immediately accepted the job at the commissions Region 4 office.
When the deputy prime ministers working group member mentioned the PACC, I was extremely happy because I felt that my family and I would be secure.
After submitting my personal record to the working group, I received the good news that the deputy prime minister will complete the procedures needed to recruit me as a government official at the PACCs Khon Kaen Region 4 Office, she said.
In a recent media interview, Ms Panida said she had been unable to get a government job after completing her studies, despite earlier promises by high-ranking officials at several state agencies.
Four months after she graduated she had still heard nothing regarding her recruitment into the civil service.
Ms Panida, who majored in community development, and three other students on her course were given positions as interns at the centre for the assistance of the destitute.
They rose to fame early this year after they lodged a complaint with the National Council for Peace and Order that led eventually to the exposure of systemic embezzlement of state funds nationwide intended for the underprivileged.
Their complaint about payments for the poor being pocketed by officials prompted authorities to examine how the fund was spent at other welfare centres across the country.
Read original story here.
Hungry ghosts, red turtles - The Por Tor Festival
The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars is a classic Chinese text of Confucian family piety written by Guo Jujing during the Yuan dynasty (12601368). The text is an example of, in certain cases, extreme actions to fulfilling familial obligations. From killing offspring to free up their ration of food, breastfeeding toothless grandparents to tales of rather gruesome self harm, its not without its controversy nor for the faint of heart.
Community
By David Jacklin
Friday 31 August 2018, 12:00PM
It will take a while to get through that turtle cake
If you visit the ornate Hok Nguan Kung Shrine just off the Surin Clocktower Circle, enter through the dragon-adorning pillared entrance, and through the heavy musk of the incense blackened shrines you will find a wall tiled with illustrations depicting scenes from this ancient text.
Thankfully the moral duties to loved ones have lightened up a touch these days. This week the Por Tor festival held a series of processions and celebrations with a focal point around the ornate Chinese temples and shrines across Phuket Town.
Por Tor, or the Hungry Ghost festival, is also all about merit making to your family, all be it deceased ones. For this is the month that restless ancestors are released from hell for their annual visit. Families in modern times need only to offer gifts and prayers to appease these wandering souls, while also gaining merit for their own selfless actions. Most notably is the offering of a red cake in the shape of a turtle, which is hoped awards the giver longevity.
Most charming of all are the processions in which the local community of dignitaries, officials and school children dress up in traditional clothing, including Chinese silk Cheongsam dresses, and parade through the town. On Monday (Aug 27) the people gathered at the Queen Sirikit Park at noon for the parade along Phuket Rd and Rassada Rd through to the main festivities in Ranong Rd.
The start of proceedings included the Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana leading the candle lighting and incense ceremony next to the golden sea dragon statue which fronts the park.
This was followed by an integrated and elegant performance of the traditional Thai and Chinese fan dances at the main stage, marking the cultural fusion of the festival in modern Phuket.
The procession then gets underway, with each section fronted by a banner depicting the proceeding group or school. Young adults and school children are the focus of the parade in their beautiful traditional dress, and carrying a variety of gifts to calm the groans of the hungry ghosts. Its endearing enough to want to make a return journey from the other side.
Through the evening along Ranong Rd market vendors sell local street food delicacies, while a range of performances entertain the crowds on a main stage set up further along the street.
Its a joy to see tradition upheld at this family-orientated event. Those peckish spectres must be satiated.
Patong police volunteer chief responds to unilateral dismissal
PHUKET: The head of the police volunteers program in Patong has responded to comments by Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee, who recently summarily dismissed the volunteer program in order to set up his own hand-picked team of volunteers, including Thai citizens who will soon be wearing uniforms on the streets of Patong.
patongpolice
By The Phuket News
Friday 31 August 2018, 11:10AM
The Region 8 International Police Liaison Volunteers join a meeting at the Region 8 Police headquarters at the north end of the island last year. Photo: Supplied
The Region 8 International Police Liaison Volunteers join a meeting at the Region 8 Police headquarters at the north end of the island last year. Photo: Supplied
The Region 8 International Police Liaison Volunteers join a meeting at the Region 8 Police headquarters at the north end of the island last year. Photo: Supplied
Wal Brown has for more than 10 years led the police volunteers program in Patong, whereby local expats living in Phuket with multi-language skills have provided free assistance to tourists in need. His letter sent directly to The Phuket News is as follows:
My name is Wal Brown and on behalf of the Region 8 International Police Liaison Volunteers would like to respond to the comments made to The Phuket News last week where Col Anotai Jindamanee talked about the Region 8 Volunteers being dismissed from Patong Police Station Program and the Royal Thai Police suspended from Patong Police Station. (See story here.)
Firstly, I would like to say that his unilateral decision to take away tourist support from Patong streets and Patong Police Station is not fair on tourists and that the Region 8 Volunteers have been providing support for the past 10 years.
Second, that the volunteer program and his statement about police suspended from Patong Police Station was not related.
We volunteers do not understand why the program was suspended without anything taking its place. We have dozens of tourists getting in touch with volunteers each day and we can only tell them they must go to the Police Station or ask an officer on the street for help.
For the people reading this and are not sure what the Region 8 Volunteers did I will try to give you some background.
We are currently 35+ volunteers from 13 countries who collectively speak 19 languages, they all have good communication skills and all speak English as a first or second language. A few speak some Thai and can read Thai.
All have a good understanding of Thai culture as well as an understanding of many other cultures throughout the world.
Over the past 10 years we have had over 230 volunteers working in the program, some have been in the program for over 10 years when we worked for Immigration after the tsunami, others work with us for a few years then retire or return to their home.
One group, mainly from Kamala set up a support program in the Kamala area and still work the streets and beach taking care of tourists.
Some of the duties we carry out include making ourselves available most days and evenings to assist tourists and expats when they need help. This could be through a phone call from a tourist, a call from a Police Officer to attend the Police Station or incident or by appointment with the volunteer.
Most issues we sort out are simple that do not require police assistance, many require information that the tourist needs to know prior to attending the police station. We are also rostered to work the streets and beach at least one night per week.
On many occasions a police officer or tourist asks for help for the simple reason that the tourist has no English skills, suffers dementia, lost, unable to find their hotel or resort. Forgetting to take their medication can exasperate the problem.
It is difficult working in the police station, when a conflict arises between a police officer and tourist and we are asked to help then finish up in the middle of a conflict with both parties.
A recent issue that has created conflict between the Colonel at Patong and our group was our concern that a police officer that was removed from Patong Police Station when it was called Kathu Police Station four-plus years ago has returned and stated he would create problems again for the volunteers. At a meeting recently he threatened volunteers that if they say anything bad about him or complained about him he would take deformation action against the volunteer and have them put in jail.
Volunteers have had heated arguments in the past with many police but have always been able to come together at the end of the day and put the issue to rest. We are more than aware that all cultural indifferences need to be resolved and come together as friends to be able to work together the next day.
Thailand tourism is the biggest winner from our program, for 10-years-plus our volunteers have been working the streets talking to tourists every chance we get. We have been involved in two television series spreading the word of how we work together with the Royal Thai Police, explaining the cultural differences between Thailand and other countries.
Our volunteers have worked well over 100,000 hours over the past 10 years. All voluntary, we have even paid for our own uniforms, assisted tens of thousands of tourists, made thousands of phone calls for tourists in distress or in need of help, supported tourists in hospitals, supplied food and water to tourists in jail, assisted tourists in hospital, contacted most consuls and embassies in Thailand as well as embassies in other countries where there was no embassy in Thailand All for free.
We had monthly meetings to exchange issues and concerns around Patong from information given to us from tourists. Some information was acted on quickly by the police other information was passed on to the other government department responsible.
The Volunteer Program was not just a few people walking around the streets in a uniform after a bit of glory. It was a structured program where people had to apply, go through a set training program, work with other volunteers and accept the fact that there is a three-month probation period before being accepted. That training was ongoing throughout their time as a volunteer.
In respect to the Volunteers, I would like to thank you all for the great work you did during your time with us. We have donated our time to make Phuket and Patong safer for tourists.
There have been many people who have sent their thanks for just being there when they are needed.
The Region 8 Volunteer Group, Patong, Phuket.
Sheriff who investigated fatal Jason Ravnsborg crash dies
A rural lawman thrust into the spotlight in the aftermath of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg's fatal crash in September 2020 has died.
Wilmington, Del. Immaculata University and Widener University Delaware Law School have signed an articulation agreement that will give Immaculata students the opportunity to earn an accelerated Bachelors Degree from Immaculata and a Juris Doctorate degree from Widener University Delaware Law School.
Under the agreement for the new 3 + 3 program, Immaculata students can be admitted to Delaware Law after completing just three years of undergraduate study at Immaculata if they meet certain criteria.
According to a joint press release from the two universities, candidates must have completed 75 percent of their bachelor degree, earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher through six semesters at Immaculata and achieve an Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score that meets or exceeds the median LSAT score of Delaware Laws most recent entering class. They must also satisfy all Delaware Law admissions requirements relating to character and fitness and submit a completed application by April 1st of the calendar year in which they intend to enroll.
The program is intended to save students time and expense allowing for the completion of both degrees in six years instead of seven, according to the release.
This new agreement provides a clear pathway for our students to earn a law degree in less time and with less cost. We are excited about this new partnership with Widener Universitys Delaware Law School and the opportunities it creates for our Immaculata students, Immaculata President Barbara Lettiere, a 1972 graduate of Immaculata, said in the release.
Delaware Law School Dean Rodney A. Smolla said he was pleased to see the two schools collaborate.
The Delaware Law School is delighted to embark on this new partnership with Immaculata University, he said. This collaboration will strengthen both institutions and contribute to educational opportunities in both Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Immaculata is a Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning, located on 375 acres on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton.
Widener University is a metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Delaware Law School is the states only law school, providing juris doctor, legal graduate and paralegal degree programs.
This months Image-Maker in Residence is sociologist Juan Pablo Gonzalez, whose research project highlights religious dance practices throughout the Atacama region in Chile. Tradition and renovation are two words Juan uses when reflecting on these practices, as members of dance troupes pass on knowledge and ritual that continue to contest the conservatism of Catholicism in Chile. This passing-down of practices of resistance reveals the ways in which intergenerational solidarity is maintained and championed. We are so excited to host Juans brilliant images from this project over on Instagram. In the following interview, he introduces us to his research in more detail.
Guns N' Roses haven't written any original material yet
Speaking to Audacy, axe-slayer Slash said: As far as new Guns is concerned, we havent even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down an
Cannabis should be added to the North American Free Trade Agreement just like any other form of produce, says former Mexican president Vicente Fox.
Fox, who sits on the board of Vancouver-based medical marijuana producer Khiron Life Sciences Corp., said he expects Mexicos new government to legalize recreational cannabis next year. The country legalized medical pot in 2017.
Fox has long advocated for legal cannabis, arguing that it will help defeat the cartel violence that has plagued Mexico for years.
We can change criminals for businessmen, we can change underground, illegal non-taxpayers into an industry, a sector of the economy, he said Thursday in an interview in Toronto, where he met with Khirons board. I think it should be part of NAFTA and thats what Im pursuing.
If that happens, Mexico could become a major exporter of legal cannabis to the U.S. and Canadian markets, Fox said.
On vegetables, on fruits, on avocados, Mexico produces and provides up to 70 percent of the U.S. and Canadian market so we are efficient in producing, were efficient in farming and were low-cost and competitive, he said.
Canada is currently locked in negotiations on revamping NAFTA after the U.S. and Mexico signed a preliminary deal on Monday.
CALGARYThe Alberta NDPs political future is looking significantly bleaker after a court decision Thursday that put the Trans Mountain pipeline on hold.
The full extent of political fallout from the Federal Court of Appeals decision Thursday has yet to be seen, but with the NDP and Premier Rachel Notley facing a looming fight for re-election before the end of May next year, experts agree that delays to the pipeline are the last thing the party needs.
This was one of the worst days, if not the worst day in office for the (Alberta) New Democrats, said University of Calgary political science professor David Stewart.
Political fortunes in Alberta are often tied to the energy industry, added Mount Royal University policy studies professor Lori Williams. And as Notley is trying to position her party as a driver of the provinces ongoing economic recovery, shes faced with a situation where she doesnt have the levers to change her current situation other than increasing pressure on other groups.
Thats an ongoing challenge with the pipeline file, Williams said. While Alberta has been pushing for the Trans Mountain to be built, decisions have often been in the courts or federal governments hands.
Theres a lot of unknowns at this stage. We dont know when, how or even if this is going to get resolved and what thats going to mean politically, Williams said.
Read more:
Decision to pull out of national climate plan wont have a dramatic effect on Albertas policies, experts say
Alberta has spent $31 million promoting Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
Alberta to pull out of national climate plan, Premier Rachel Notley vows
In a speech Thursday evening, Notley also made a surprising move, vowing that Alberta will pull out of Canadas national climate plan until the federal government gets its act together.
Stewart said that puts an age-old Alberta political tradition into play.
It sets the stage for a defence that in the absence of a pipeline in the next election Notley will have to make, which is to play one of the oldest cards in Alberta politics: western alienation. Blame the federal government.
Notleys move to distance herself from Ottawa could offer some leverage in a situation where shes left with limited options.
Stewart said that considering where things stand now, simply getting the approvals for the pipeline lined up would be a big win that could bolster the NDP actually getting construction on the pipeline underway is no longer as crucial to its political positioning.
I wouldnt have thought earlier this week that approvals would be enough, he said. But now approvals would look like a major step forward.
In the meantime, the NDP is left vulnerable to United Conservative Party criticism.
(Kenney) is going to question the competence of the NDP government to manage the economy and taxpayer dollars, she said. Hes going to have a lot of room to play.
Notley will be waiting to see whether Ottawa will move to launch an appeal of the courts decision, and whether the premier moves on the carbon tax in the meantime is something that experts say is still unclear. But part of the justification for the carbon tax was the idea that it provided the social licence for getting the pipeline built, which has now been called into question.
Carbon tax plus no pipeline is a clear indication of failure on a major government priority, Stewart said.
Mount Royal University political science professor Keith Brownsey said the situation with the pipeline couldnt come at a worse time for Ottawa.
The federal government is burdened right now with negotiating with the United States on NAFTA ... and its got this mess on its hands, he said.
As the election approaches, Stewart said this weeks developments are likely to make the provinces political landscape increasingly polarized from this point forward.
Parties other than the UCP and New Democrats are not looking terribly relevant I think its going to be either for or against the government, he said.
Now that Notley has made her move, Williams said that while Albertans shouldnt necessarily count her and her party out for an election thats still nine months away, the campaign is bound to be an uphill battle.
Notley is already facing a steep climb to re-election in the spring, and that hill just got way steeper.
Read more about:
CALGARYIn a surprise court decision Thursday, the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in part because Canada failed to fulfil the duty to consult owed to Indigenous peoples.
But what does a duty to consult entail?
Although Canadas Constitution codifies Indigenous rights, the conversation around consultation didnt become mainstream until 2004, said Eugene Kung, a lawyer who worked closely with Tsleil-Waututh Nation to stop the pipeline expansion.
Kung said that in 2004, the Supreme Court acknowledged Canadas responsibility to consult Indigenous groups, adding it affirmed what First Nations had been saying for a long time, which is if youre going to make decisions that impact our rights, you need to at least talk to us.
Read more:
Alberta to pull out of national climate plan, Premier Rachel Notley vows
Opinion | First Nations bid for Trans Mountain pipeline a bold step
B.C. Grand Chief urges action to prevent catastrophic climate chaos as costs of Trans Mountain pipeline rise
According to Jason MacLean, a law professor at the University of Saskatchewan who specializes in environmental law, the Trans Mountain court decision shows that Canada only pays lip service to consultation.
The federal government thought that it could satisfy the so-called honour of the Crown to consult by just listening, by taking really detailed notes, and trying to understand what the affected Indigenous communitys concerns were, MacLean said.
At no point did (Canada) engage in what the court calls a meaningful two-way dialogue, he added.
According to MacLean and Indigenous leaders, even well-intentioned discussions between Canada and First Nations can fail to uphold Indigenous rights.
The duty to consult and accommodate under the Constitution under Section 35 is in and of itself a western colonial framework in that it doesnt create any space or any room for shared decision-making, MacLean said.
He added the court decision represents a bare minimum for consultation requirements, since the Canadian government can theoretically override Indigenous demands after discussions take place.
This doesnt live up to the concept of free, prior and informed consent, MacLean said, referring to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or UNDRIP a universal legal framework that outlines government responsibilities to consult with Indigenous communities before developing Indigenous lands.
The federal government endorsed UNDRIP in 2016.
MacLean added Ottawas ostensible support for UNDRIP gave rise to expectations that we were going to get away from (a lack of consultation) and move more towards mutual consent.
The federal government was unable to respond to requests for comment.
Dustin Rivers, whose traditional name is Khelsilem, is a council member and spokesperson for the Squamish Nation. He worked closely on the case against the Trans Mountain expansion.
From the Squamish Nations perspective, we are a government within our territory with rights, with jurisdiction, he said. Anything that happens in our territory must respect our standards, our rights, our laws in order to meet our threshold for support.
Squamish Nation expects free, prior and informed consent whenever projects of any kind arise within its territories, Khelsilem said, adding meaningful consultation needs to include Indigenous protocols.
We have traditions that extend back thousands of years about how we as a people conduct ourselves when it comes to families or communities making decisions, he said. We have a process and we have laws and we have principles that guide that within our culture, within our society.
There is a way for us to apply those principles and those values into a formal legal process, and were prepared and ready to do that.
Khelsilem also nodded to other Indigenous communities across the country and explained each First Nation will likely have unique decision-making processes in place.
Canada is an entity that was formed here quite recently where there were pre-existing nations with rights and legal frameworks and societies, Khelsilem said. If you want to do business, you have to respect Indigenous rights.
He added, There are lots of us, but thats not our fault and all of our nations are going to stand together to support that.
Kung said consultation today is absolutely taking place in a colonial framework.
What weve seen over and over again is federal governments repeating the errors, and the, frankly, paternalistic approach of saying, OK, well go through some motions, well listen to you or well sit down with you, but ultimately, were making the decision, Kung said.
Theres a lot of potential for a true nation-to-nation relationship to respect the rights and, in particular, the governance rights and decision-making of Indigenous peoples grounded in their laws, not in Canadian laws, he added.
For Kung, recognizing diversity across Indigenous communities symbolizes one of the first steps in decolonizing consultation.
You cant use a one-size-fits-all approach because there is such diversity, and each case is going to be looked at on the unique circumstances of that nation, of the project and how it impacts rights, Kung said.
Im talking about not just saying, Hey, youre a stakeholder, we want to hear from you, but, what does it look like to be involved in the decision-making process and designing the decision-making process, he added.
Thatll go a long way in getting to a better place, a post-colonial space, which were a long way from right now.
The consultation co-ordinator of Kainai First Nation, Mike Oka, also voiced concerns around current approaches to consultation.
He said that Kainai First Nation engages in dialogue with governments and corporations any time there are proposed developments from the North Saskatchewan River, south to the Canada-U.S. boundary. From the crest of the Rockies, well into Saskatchewan.
According to Oka, little progress has been made since provincial and federal governments first started discussing consultation with the Treaty 7 Nation in 2005.
Weve still had difficulty with the policy itself in that it was not meaningful, its still not meaningful, Oka said. It was a very flawed process from the beginning.
Oka said that from his perspective, industry always gets what industry wants, a sign that Indigenous players dont have an equal say in decision-making processes.
(The government) likes to quote Truth and Reconciliation, they like to quote UNDRIP, but they havent done anything concrete to show that theyre working within those recommendations, he said.
As far as Oka is concerned, meaningful consultation wont take place until Canadian politicians engage directly with Indigenous communities.
We know how to manage our traditional territory and its very important for government at the ministerial level to be educated on the people who theyre dealing with, Oka said. They need to understand the ceremonial ways, have a good idea of why we do certain things, why its important.
Then they can begin to manage the province a little better, he added.
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EDMONTONPremier Rachel Notley vowed to pull Alberta out of the national climate plan after the Federal Court of Appeals decision put the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project on hold.
Albertans are angry, I am angry. Alberta has done everything right and we have been let down, said Notley in a live broadcast address Thursday evening.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier Thursday, Notley said she demanded the federal government immediately launch an appeal, recall an emergency session of Parliament to assert their authority, protect Canadas coastline, and improve consultation and accommodation of Indigenous people in the way that they deserve.
The court found that the National Energy Board (NEB) did not do enough to consult Indigenous people in its review of the pipeline expansion. Furthermore, the court found that the board unjustifiably defined the scope of the project under review not to include project-related tanker traffic.
Notley said Alberta could not continue to adhere to the national climate plan without the approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. Without it, Notley said, that plan isnt worth the paper its written on.
With no access to tidewater to bring Albertas oil and gas products to other markets, Canada will be forced to continue to sell to the United States at a discount, losing funds that could be spent on schools and hospitals to American yachts and private jets, she said.
Albertans are angry, I am angry. Alberta has done everything right and we have been let down, said Premier Rachel Notley in a live broadcast address Thursday evening.
Read more:
Really bad news for Alberta: Court loss for Trans Mountain ripples across oil country
Who are the players behind pivotal win for Trans Mountain pipeline opponents?
Federal Court of Appeal quashes Trans Mountain approval, calling it unjustified failure, in win for First Nations, environmentalists
Notley told media gathered at the Alberta Legislature that once the carbon price goes up to $40 per tonne, Alberta would pull out. The provinces willingness to stay part of the plan was contingent on the Trans Mountain pipeline being built, she said. The carbon pricing plan is expected to go up to $50 per tonne by 2022.
The carbon price in the national climate plan isnt expected to go up to $40 for another couple years, but Notley said, They know, come two years from now, theyre losing another ally.
She said its not an immediate consequence, but it sends a very, very strong message.
No one in Canada should accept that the only way to sell Canadas resources is through the U.S., she said. No other country on Earth would accept this and Canada shouldnt, either, especially when we are doing it to ourselves. It is ridiculous.
Notley didnt say what her options would be if the Canadian government forced the climate plan on the province once it stopped participating at $40 per tonne, but that shed explore them when the time came.
When asked if she would cut off oil to the east or the west of the country, Notley said she would see how things unfold.
Politicians across Alberta condemned the Federal Court of Appeals decision, which quashed the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project and sent shockwaves throughout the province.
Environmentalists and First Nations heralded the decision as a major win. The ruling means the National Energy Board will have to redo its review of Kinder Morgan Canadas project if the federal government decides not to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, speaking to media outside the Blackfoot Diner in Calgary, said he didnt blame the provincial NDP or the Canadian government, but slammed the decision by the court.
Decisions like this have massive impacts on peoples lives, ordinary peoples livelihoods, he said. People are gonna lose their jobs.
The federal government, which owns the Trans Mountain pipeline, has two options, according to experts who have weighed in on the decision. They can appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada or they can re-engage in the consultation process with Indigenous and First Nations peoples. Until one of those two processes is complete, no work can be completed on the government-owned pipeline.
Kenney asked that the federal government appeal the decision and called on Albertas NDP to withdraw the carbon tax.
Its made the cost of everything higher, but its done nothing to get us the so-called social licence, he said, adding that this is another example of a failed pipeline after citing Northern Gateway and Energy East.
When asked about feelings concerning Albertas place in Canada, he said he was at a meeting earlier in the day with energy sector leaders who voiced sentiments that they felt alienated.
This undermines national unity, said Kenney. Im never gonna give up on Canada, but those of us who believe in the promise of the federation rule of law this is a bad day for us.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson also addressed media at City Hall on Thursday, saying this project is too important, not just to Edmonton or Alberta, but too important to this country, to just give up at this point.
However, he also said Alberta needs to invest in innovation and economic growth so that the economy is less susceptible to outcomes such as the courts decision.
This is a tough morning for a lot of businesses and a lot of workers in Edmonton, no doubt. And everybody else who doesnt work directly in those spaces understands how important this project is to our overall economy, he said. Its a setback, no doubt, but I dont think anyone is going to be interested in giving up.
The Canadian Liberal government and Albertas NDP government have been pushing for the pipeline to go through for years, but Vancouver, Burnaby and B.C.s provincial government, along with First Nations and environmental groups, have been steadfast in opposing it.
The cases brought to the court were from more than a dozen First Nations, municipal governments and environmental organizations looking to overturn the federal governments decision to expand the pipeline.
With files from Madeline Smith, Hamdi Issawi and The Canadian Press
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EDMONTONThe Alberta government has spent $31 million on a campaign promoting a pipeline expansion project that was dealt a major blow this week.
The province released its first quarter fiscal update Friday, revealing its 2018-19 expenses are forecast to be $56.3 billion in 2018-19 $47 million higher than what was estimated in its 2018 budget.
Thats largely due to the $31 million set aside for a public advocacy campaign on the benefits of Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Finance Minister Joe Ceci said the spending has been absolutely worthwhile and the province will continue its efforts to sway public opinion.
Theres probably no more important time than now to continue to show Canadians the importance of good energy infrastructure, he said.
More and more Canadians all the time are onside with the need for that right across this country. So, were going to continue to send that message out.
The Federal Court of Appeal squashed Trans Mountains approval in a decision Thursday morning, meaning the National Energy Board will have to redo its review of the pipeline expansion.
Read more:
Alberta to pull out of national climate plan, Premier Rachel Notley vows
Really bad news for Alberta: Court loss for Trans Mountain ripples across oil country
Who are the players behind pivotal win for Trans Mountain pipeline opponents?
Overall, the provinces economic outlook is on the upswing, with increased exports, wholesale trade, manufacturing, and earnings.
Total revenue projections have grown by $1.2 billion, as personal income tax revenues and resource royalties have recovered faster than expected. In the oil industry, the number of rigs drilling in Alberta is up 6.7 per cent year-to-date, compared to a 9.7 per cent drop in other oil-producing provinces.
Provincial officials are projecting Albertas deficit will fall by $1 billion to $7.8 billion in 2018-19, and its budget will be balanced by 2023-24.
Ceci said that projection depends on getting at least two of three proposed pipeline projects completed, however, which seems less likely after Thursdays court decision. The other two potential pipelines are Enbridges Line 3 and TransCanadas Keystone XL, which has also been controversial.
There are three pipelines that are important for this province. Out of those pipelines, two or three of them are necessary, Ceci said.
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, meanwhile, called the fiscal update completely meaningless and suggested it was overly optimistic in light of the Trans Mountain court decision.
(Thursdays) decision clearly blows a hole through the NDP budget projections, both for resource royalties, corporate taxes and personal income taxes, and the carbon tax, he said.
Kenney is calling on Premier Rachel Notley to suspend Albertas carbon tax, press the federal government to withhold climate plan transfers to British Columbia, and demand a renegotiation of federal equalization payments.
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OTTAWAThe CBC apologized to NDP MP Christine Moore on Thursday for failing to meet all of its editorial standards.
The network said in a story published on its website last May that Moore was the subject of allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former soldier.
CBCs article was picked up by other media and the Quebec-based MP was then suspended from her caucus duties.
The CBC said in a statement Thursday that Moore was asked in May to respond to the allegations but requested more time, which the broadcaster acknowledged it did not provide but should have.
Read more:
NDP MP Christine Moore cleared after harassment allegations
NDP MP Christine Moore suspended from duties after being accused of inappropriate conduct
Moore strongly denied the relationship with Glen Kirkland was anything but fully mutual and consensual, and CBC said it was apologizing to Moore for any inference to the contrary.
In a statement, the MP for the Abitibi-Temiscamingue riding said she was happy CBC had acknowledged the facts and offered an apology.
Heres another entity that confirms my version of the facts as well as the mutual and consensual nature of my brief relationship with Glen Kirkland in 2013, when I was single, she said.
Moore told The Canadian Press in a brief phone conversation she has dropped her plans to sue the CBC for defamation.
She said is still evaluating whether to pursue legal action against Kirkland and two other media outlets that reported on the story.
An investigators report absolved Moore last July of any wrongdoing, prompting NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to restore her caucus duties.
On Thursday, Singh said he welcomed the networks apology, but was not surprised by it.
I think (the apology) is appropriate, he told reporters in Ottawa.
I have full confidence in Christine and I look forward to continue to work with her now that shes been fully reintegrated into caucus.
Kirkland, a retired corporal, accused Moore earlier this year of inappropriate behaviour and abusing her power in their relationship in 2013.
Moore, who has held Abitibi-Temiscamingue since 2011, said earlier this year she loved Kirkland back in 2013.
In July, when she was cleared, she said it was too early to say whether she will run again in next years election and that the decision will be made by her and her family.
Moore and Kirkland met on June 5, 2013, when Kirkland, who was injured in a Taliban ambush in 2008, testified at a parliamentary committee about the treatment of injured soldiers.
Kirkland alleged Moore invited him back to her office after the committee meeting and plied him with alcohol before following him back to his hotel, where they had sex.
He alleges she then continued to send him explicit messages for several weeks and even turned up unannounced at his Manitoba home before he forcibly told her to stop.
Moore, however, disputed Kirklands account, providing The Canadian Press last May with photos, emails, text messages and flight itineraries to show the two were involved in a romantic relationship.
The MP said she ended the relationship in October 2013 due to the geographic distance between them as well as Kirklands difficult divorce.
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Two Hamilton men are heading to prison after Vancouver courts heard they took a Greyhound bus to Vancouver with the goal of becoming underworld hit men.
Knowah Truth Ferguson, 21, attempted to carry out a murder while dressed in a loose-fitting clothing style sometimes worn by Muslim women, carrying his pistol in a purse.
Ferguson pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Hells Angel Damion Ryan and a second man who was not identified in court.
His associate Gino Gavin McCall, also of Hamilton, earlier pleaded guilty in a separate trial to one count of conspiracy to commit the murder of an unknown person between April 11, 2015 and June 15, 2015.
Ferguson was sentenced this week to 6 years custody, after credit was given for pretrial custody. McCall was sentenced to seven years custody.
The name of whoever hired the hit team has not been made public.
Ferguson had just turned 18 at the time of the offences, while McCall was 30.
Crown attorney Mike Barrenger told court in Fergusons case that the men travelled together to work as professional killers for a group connected to the United Nations Gang.
The United Nations were fighting with The Wolf Pack, an association of some Hells Angels and members of the Independent Soldiers and Red Soldiers gangs of B.C., the prosecutor said.
The attempt on Ryans life occurred in April 2015 at the airport food court. Barrenger said Fergusons gun jammed when he pulled the trigger on Ryan.
A video played in court showed Ferguson and Ryan bolting from the food court, along with Thomas Duong, who had set up Ryan for the murder, according to a Crown witness in the case who was identified only as Witness X.
Duong was sentenced to 12 years in prison earlier this year for attempted murder in another gang-related case.
The B.C. Supreme Court issued a publication ban on the identity of Ferguson and Ryans second proposed victim, who was targeted for murder in June 2015.
In that case, the hit squad drove around Richmond, B.C., looking for the man, but could not locate him.
Ferguson and Ryan were pulled over by police and arrested because they were travelling in a stolen car.
Ferguson and McCall were accompanied on their trip to Vancouver by Witness X, also a Hamilton resident.
According to the prosecutions case, Ferguson got two pistols and a silencer in a meeting in a downtown Vancouver alley, near the YMCA, and he was given an automatic rifle and three semi-automatic handguns for the second murder attempt.
Police said they found three pistols, an AK-47 automatic rifle and a silencer in the stolen car when it was pulled over.
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WINNIPEGManitoba Premier Brian Pallister has been penalized for taxes owing on his vacation home in Costa Rica.
Pallister said he failed to update the evaluation of his property as required by Costa Rica law, which meant he didnt pay a national tax on luxury homes.
The valuations were supposed to have been, in hindsight, done every three years and youre responsible for doing them, Pallister told The Canadian Press on Friday.
At the outset, we were never advised that we owed anything on this, and actually were told we were not in this (luxury) category, so we had no reason to believe ... that we would owe anything.
Pallister said he has paid what he owed roughly $8,000 in back taxes and penalties after going to Costa Rica last week to clear up the issue that has dogged him for months in the legislature and in the media back home.
Pallister was unable to provide documents Friday to show the amount owed and paid. He said he expected to receive them next week.
The premier and his wife purchased the property on a hillside in Tamarindo in 2008. The main bungalow measures 3,400 square feet, according to design plans, and has what Pallister calls a small finished area in the basement with a piano and TV room.
There is also a pool, a groundskeepers quarters and a gym.
The year after Pallister purchased the property, Costa Rica brought in a national tax on homes with a construction value of 120 million colones about $275,000. The tax is in addition to local taxes, which Pallister says he has always paid, and its threshold rises each year roughly in line with inflation.
The luxury tax is complex. It is not based on market value or estimates filed for construction permits, but instead on the type of building material used in each room, the area covered by each material and other factors.
The tax also relies somewhat on the honour system. Residents are left to file their own property assessments. The Costa Rican government brought in a pilot project crackdown in 2017 on homeowners in one part of the country who had failed to file proper assessments.
A list of those who have failed to pay the tax is updated monthly by the Costa Rican government on its website. As of July, it did not include Pallister or his holding company, Finca Deneter Doce Sociedad Anonima.
Pallister may be hoping to put the matter behind him, but the Opposition New Democrats are unlikely to let the matter go. The NDP raised the issue several months ago and demanded to know whether Pallister had avoided the tax by undervaluing his property.
In April, after repeated questions, Pallister promised to look into whether he should have been paying the luxury tax. He said he finally got the answer last week.
Ignorance is no defence, I should have probably looked into it further (earlier.)
Pallister has also drawn criticism for the amount of time he has spent in Costa Rica and for, on at least one occasion, saying he was not there when he was.
He has also been criticized for not being easy to reach while at his vacation home. Documents obtained through the freedom-of- information act last year showed staff connected with the premier via his wifes personal email account and cellphone.
Pallister later promised to use his own government communications equipment and to reimburse taxpayers for any long-distance costs.
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A man accused of smuggling foreigners from Canada into the U.S. through an underground railway tunnel has been arrested and faces multiple charges, American officials said.
Juan Antonio Garcia-Jimenez, a 53-year-old Ontario resident, was allegedly paid thousands of dollars to help at least five people use the tunnel running between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., the U.S. Attorneys Office said.
Smuggling individuals through the train tunnel is one of the most dangerous methods I have seen in my career, Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent Douglas Harrison said in a statement. I could not be more proud of the agents and officers who worked on identifying this individual and finally catching him.
Garcia-Jimenez who is from Guatemala and lives in Windsor was arrested by U.S. border patrol agents on Wednesday and faces multiple charges related to smuggling aliens, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office said, adding that the charges have yet to be broken down into specific offences.
In an criminal complaint filed in a Michigan court, U.S. Border Patrol agent Michael Goloweyco said an investigation into Garcia-Jimenez began on March 19 based on information received from RCMP and U.S. Border Patrol.
On that day, Detroit border patrol agents apprehended a Mexican man who had walked through the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel from Windsor, the complaint said. The tunnel is 2.5 kilometres long and is used by railway cargo trains, the attorneys office said.
The man had been working in Canada legally and told authorities someone named Antonio had told him he could help with an illegal crossing into the States, the complaint, which contains unproven allegations, said.
The man said Antonio picked him up late on March 18, drove him to a spot near the tunnel in Windsor and gave him instructions on crossing into Detroit, the complaint alleged. The man also said he paid Antonio for his help, the complaint alleged.
On two separate days in July, patrol agents apprehended four other people who used the tunnel to cross into the U.S., the complaint alleged. All four told authorities they had paid $1,500 each for help getting over the border and identified Garcia-Jimenez as the alleged smuggler, the complaint alleged.
The complaint said all five people who were allegedly smuggled were farm workers in Leamington, Ont., who used text messages to arrange the details of their border-crossing.
There is probable cause to believe that the defendant, Juan Antonio Garcia-Jimenez encouraged and induced aliens to come to, enter and reside in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, the complaint alleged.
Garcia-Jimenez made an initial appearance in a U.S. court earlier this week and had a bond hearing set for Friday, U.S. authorities said.
The small office of Community Matters Toronto, on the ground floor of the highrise at 260 Wellesley St., is in the midst of what may be its busiest stretch of weeks ever.
Co-ordinator Surabhi Khare says last weeks six-alarm fire next door at 650 Parliament St., which caused a mass evacuation there, was the most unexpected emergency shes dealt with in 17 years at the organization.
In 10 days, shes seen it all. Panicked families wondering where they would sleep. Seniors with medical conditions, but no access to their medications. Kids roaming around, with nothing else to do. Families housed far away from their community, wondering about what will happen to their kids when school starts up again next week.
People are coming in here and theyre literally crying, she said earlier this week, hours after Mayor John Tory announced Community Matters Toronto, together with Community Corner, would be two organizations to help with co-ordinating and sorting out of donations for displaced residents.
On the first night of the fire incident, at least five families two with newborn babies showed up at the office, and stayed for nine hours.
No one knew what to do, or where to send those people, she said.
Her office has usually dealt with people who need services such as information about employment, language skills, parenting or any other social issues. Rarely did they need to get involved in finding housing, especially in an emergency situation.
Were not an agency. Its just neighbours helping neighbours, she said.
And then some more, at least in this case. Khare personally opened the doors to her own place to host a family of four for three days before they secured a hotel room.
The office has had to stay open longer, sometimes 9.a.m. to 9 p.m., to provide emotional support, so that people dont feel like they are alone. We have to just operate as a family, she said.
Displaced people have been coming in to use the internet, washrooms, or simply talk, she said. Sometimes the office orders pizza for those around to share.
The frustration for the people is, they have no idea how long this will take. Thats the main thing, she said, noting the anxiety of the unknown has started to take an emotional toll on displaced residents.
This is a very dense community, with some people who are new immigrants and have many issues like unemployment, language barriers, other have just arrived and have emotional things going on.
In coming days, the organization will help provide breakfast and lunch to children from the 650 Parliament St. apartments who will be back at school, said Khare.
The organization has collected a roomful of donations, everything from brand-new shoes to clothes and school supplies. Khare said the challenge is to convince people not to dump old clothes as donations.
Some displaced people housed in hotels will be on the move again starting this Friday. Khare said needs are as varied as the residents themselves.
Its a mixed community. Some of them are very low-income people, some others have stable jobs and are OK financially, she said. Everybody will need some help.
A man in his 20s suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries following a shooting in Rexdale on Thursday night, paramedics say.
Police responded to the area of Kendleton Dr. and Orpington Cres. shortly before 11:30 p.m. and found a man, roughly 20 years old, with a gunshot wound, Toronto police spokeswoman Katrina Arrogante said. He was conscious and breathing when paramedics transported him to a trauma centre.
Reports indicate there were five shots heard in the area. There is no suspect description available at this time, Arrogante said, but witnesses heard tires screeching as a car quickly fled the scene.
The umbrella body representing 60,000 Ontario small business owners is calling on the provincial government to fully repeal the most sweeping changes to workplace protections in decades including a higher minimum wage, equal pay protections for temporary workers, and paid emergency leave days.
The legislation introduced under Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne last year was aimed at strengthening protections for vulnerable workers and resulted in a $2.60 increase in the minimum wage to $14 an hour in 2018, and a bump to $15 by 2019.
The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, known as Bill 148, also enacted two paid, job-protected emergency leave days for all workers, increased holiday entitlement, mandated equal pay for casual and part-time workers doing the same job as full-time employees, and boosted protections for temp agency workers.
Were looking at a full repeal of Bill 148, said Ashley Challinor, Vice President of Policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. It has created a number of compounding changes that created greater administrative and financial pressure on employers.
Challinor said her organization was not asking the government to retract the $14 minimum wage, but for Queens Park to cancel the increase to $15 next year. She said the remaining provisions were making it harder for businesses to maintain and grow their workforce. Premier Doug Ford has previously said he will freeze the minimum wage at $14 an hour.
Challinor said the process leading up to Bill 148 was marked by a lack of consultation and an unrealistic timeline.
We were frustrated that the process had moved very quickly and that employers were not able to have their voices heard and represented in the legislation.
The Changing Workplaces Review, which led to the creation of Bill 148, was spearheaded by two independent labour experts and involved two years of consultations with workers, employers, and labour advocates across the province, including public hearings in 13 cities, two rounds of public submissions from stakeholders, and 10 independent academic research reports.
Earlier this month, a ministry spokesperson told the Star Labour Minister Laurie Scott was considering the recent changes made and their impact on the overall economy.
Deena Ladd, of the Toronto-based Workers Action Centre, said until Bill 148 the provinces employment legislation had not seen meaningful updates since the Second World War.
I think its an absolute insult to working people who are struggling to get by to call for the repeal of legislation that was meant to update our basic labour laws, she said.
If (the government) were listening to the regular working person out there, they would absolutely know that the call for the repeal should be ignored.
In its submission to the Changing Workplaces Review, the employer-side Keep Ontario Working coalition warned regulatory updates could make it more difficult for Ontario business to grow and create good jobs.
Through a Freedom of Information request, the Star obtained an internal review of the Keep Ontario Working submission conducted by University of Toronto professor and Royal Society of Canada fellow Morley Gunderson. It says while the evidence submitted by the employer lobby group constituted reasonable advocacy, some of its economic claims do not seem to be supported by the data.
These include Keep Ontario Workings contention that job stability is increasing and that more evidence was needed before changing employment laws.
The current situation is one more of stagnant wages ... and growing polarization between good and bad jobs. The polarization issue seems to receive little attention in their report, Gundersons review says.
As for the lobby groups call for more evidence, Gunderson said he was all in favour of full-employment make-work projects for researchers like myself.
But cynics would say that many of these are simply stalling procedures to stall the implementation process.
A study by the provinces economic watchdog, the Financial Accountability Office, also predicted around 50,000 people could lose their jobs due to the minimum wage increase.
In July, the provinces jobless rate fell to 5.4 per cent, the lowest in 18 years, and lower than every other province except British Columbia.
Unemployment is one measure and a fairly imprecise one, Challinor said. Weve been seeing low unemployment for some time now. Were also seeing lower labour market participation, which is concerning.
Other than the minimum wage, Challinor said the OCC was concerned by how some of the changes were essentially one size fits all, including a new scheduling provision that gives workers the right to three hours of pay if their shift is cancelled within 48 hours of start time.
As previously reported by the Star, the Employment Standards Act which provides basic protections for workers without a union contains at least 85 exemptions for different sectors, which the previous government began reviewing earlier this year. Research conducted by professors at York University found only 23 per cent of minimum wage earners benefit from the full protection of the ESA as a result of exemptions and special rules, and fewer than 40 per cent of all Ontario workers were fully covered.
In the GTA, around half of all workers are in precarious jobs, according to a study by United Way and McMaster University. The final report completed during the Changing Workplaces Review estimated 30 to 32 per cent of workers are in low-wage, insecure employment.
Gilleen Witkowski of the Better Way Alliance, which represents 50 business owners across the province who support a good jobs strategy, said her organization had a totally different view to the Chamber of Commerce.
Theres another side to the story on this. We have found that the new laws really allow for more people to have more money to spend on our businesses. They made employees in Ontario suddenly become a lot more stable and be able to afford to stay in their roles and just generally be dependable.
Challinor said she was optimistic Bill 148 would be repealed.
We are an important voice and I suspect youll hear from other business and employer groups as well, said Challinor. And we think the new government will be receptive.
The Ford government will end the basic income pilot project March 31, saying that gives participants enough time to transition without putting an undue burden on the public purse.
As a result, the program for low-income Ontarians introduced by the previous Liberal government will now end a year before it was scheduled to wrap up.
We have a broken social service system. A research project that helps less than 4,000 people is not the answer and provides no hope to the nearly 2 million Ontarians who are trapped in the cycle of poverty, said Lisa MacLeod, the provinces minister of children, community and social services, in a written statement.
We are winding down the basic income research project in a compassionate way, MacLeod said, adding that the lengthy runway will see final payments distributed at the end of the fiscal year.
The government is already facing a proposed class-action lawsuit by four participants for breach of contract of the three-year program that began in April 2017.
The basic income project enrolled low-income recipients from Hamilton, Thunder Bay and Lindsay, providing individuals with a stable income of $16,989 and up to $24,027 for couples.
Researchers with the $50-million a year project were studying if the income would help improve participants lives and health.
Tom Cooper, director of the Hamilton Roundtable on Poverty Reduction, said the timeline does provide a bit of breathing room for participants who didnt know when theyd be cut off and didnt know if they could cover rent for September ... (cancelling it) left them in a terrible position over the last month, without people knowing how they were going to survive into September.
The deadline at least provides them with that time frame, which I think the government was ethically obligated to do.
He said the participants have been treated absolutely cruelly by the provincial government.
People entered into this in good faith and were deceived because the PCs promised twice before the election to continue the pilot, he also said.
Before Doug Ford was elected premier, a senior official in his campaign told the Star a Progressive Conservative government would keep the project going through to completion.
However, MacLeod later told reporters that maintaining the program was not part of the partys official campaign platform.
MacLeod has pledged a 100-day review of social assistance and poverty-reduction plans for the province, and a report is expected in early November.
She has said that if the basic income pilot project was expanded across the province, it would come with an unaffordable $17 billion price tag.
Some advocates have been urging the federal government to take over the pilot, saying its an important project that could, down the line, lead to lower costs for governments.
When the pilot was first introduced in Ontario, all three provincial party leaders expressed support, including then-PC leader Patrick Brown.
Dr. Kwame McKenzie, a psychiatrist and CEO of the Wellesley Institute who is also a University of Toronto professor, said the additional months give people a chance to make their plans.
McKenzie, the governments special research adviser on the pilot, said people all over the world are struggling with this question ... its a really good question for society in general about the benefits of such a program. He called the loss of it and the research disappointing.
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WASHINGTONA deal on North American trade remained possible, but not certain, on early Friday morning after the Trudeau government and Trump administration met into Thursday night to try to hit a U.S.-imposed Friday deadline.
President Donald Trump said a deal was close, and that Canada would make a deal at some point, but that he was not sure if it would happen by Friday.
It may be by Friday or it may be within a period of time, he told Bloomberg.
Trump struck a harder line at a campaign rally in Indiana on Thursday night, repeating his threat to impose tariffs on imports of Canadian-made cars if Canada did not start to treat the U.S. more fairly.
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Trump, Trudeau say NAFTA deal possible by Friday
Is it too late for Canada in NAFTA deal?
A Canadian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the talks with the U.S. were down to just a few issues, but the trickiest ones.
Anything is possible, but itll require a lot of work, the official said.
A second Canadian official said a deal by Friday was still possible but that the media was succumbing to overly exuberant deal fever.
The unresolved issues included the U.S. demand for more access to Canadas tightly protected dairy market and Canadas demand to preserve the Chapter 19 dispute-resolution system, which the U.S. wants to eliminate.
The system allows challenges to government-imposed trade duties, such as U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber, to be heard by independent panels, not the domestic courts of the government being challenged.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said she continued to be encouraged, although she added that there was a lot that were trying to do in a short period of time.
Freeland had a series of Washington meetings with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. She said in the afternoon, for the first time this week, that they were ready to take some decisions on policy issues, which she did not identify.
Freeland emerged from evening meeting with Lighthizer at 8:30 p.m. after more than three hours, saying the atmosphere remained constructive but providing no details. She came back for a brief fourth meeting after 10 p.m. She was scheduled to return on Friday morning.
The talks could well continue beyond Friday, the date Trumps team says it will notify Congress of a deal with Mexico whether or not Canada is involved. Canada could likely sign on as late as a month after the notification.
But both Canada and the U.S. appear to be making an effort to come to an immediate handshake. Each side believes the publicly announced deadline gives them bargaining leverage.
Trump said Wednesday that the two sides were on track for a Friday resolution. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a deal by Friday was a possibility, but only a possibility.
Here is a look at some of the key remaining issues:
Chapter 19 dispute resolution: In the original NAFTA negotiation, the Canadian government took a dramatic last-minute stand in favour of including a system that would allow U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties to be litigated at a five-member independent tribunal, not in U.S. courts.
Canadian duties on U.S. goods can be challenged in the same tribunals. But Canada has found the system essential, using it to challenge U.S. softwood lumber duties among others, and considers it a must-have in any new deal.
Chapter 11 investor-state dispute settlement: NAFTA also includes a provision that allows companies to sue governments over policy decisions they believe have violated the governments obligations to investors.
Trudeau has not taken a public position on this system, leading to questions about whether it too would be a last-minute sticking point, but another Canadian official said the prime minister, as Trumps team is, is happy to eliminate it. Canada has faced more Chapter 11 challenges than the U.S. or Mexico.
Canadian cultural businesses: Canada is demanding the preservation of NAFTAs exemption for cultural industries, such as music and movies.
Canada maintains an extensive system of subsidies and regulations intended to support Canadian content. Since they discriminate against U.S. businesses, those policies would not be allowed under free-trade rules without an exemption.
The U.S. has sought to eliminate or substantially modify the exemption, arguing that Canada has abused it.
Canadian dairy: Trump has complained at length about Canadas high dairy tariffs, and his team has insisted on changes to Canadas protectionist supply management system. Trudeau has repeatedly promised to defend supply management, which uses quotas and tariffs to shield domestic farmers from foreign competition.
A Canadian official says Trudeau is willing to make incremental concessions to the U.S. on dairy in exchange for the U.S. agreeing to keep Chapter 19 and the cultural exemption. One possible model for concessions: the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which Trump withdrew, in which Canada agreed to allow foreign imports to make up 3.25 per cent of the domestic dairy market.
Intellectual property: The U.S. wants stronger and longer protections for intellectual property ranging from drugs to creative works. Canada has pushed back.
Steel and aluminum tariffs: Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, saying he would remove them if a NAFTA deal were reached. But it is not clear exactly when in the approval process he would agree to rescind them: upon the initial handshake or at some later date, such as upon the signing of the agreement.
Online shopping: Canada has one of the worlds lowest thresholds for applying duties on goods bought by residents from abroad. Canadian online shoppers pay these fees on any purchases above $20.
The U.S. wants Canada to raise the threshold, which would make U.S. products more affordable to Canadian shoppers. Mexico agreed in the preliminary deal to raise its own threshold to $100 from $50.
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WASHINGTONHigh-stakes trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. were dramatically upended on Friday morning after inflammatory secret remarks by President Donald Trump were obtained by the Toronto Star.
Trumps comments were viewed by Canadian negotiators as evidence for their suspicions that the U.S. was not making a legitimate effort to compromise. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus officials confronted the presidents officials with the leaked quotes at a high-level meeting on Friday morning.
Trumps words caused a U.S. media firestorm. By the end of the day, Trump had confirmed the accuracy of the Stars report, said he was fine with the leak because now Canada knows his true feelings and also complained at length that the leak was a breach of his trust.
Canada and the U.S. were not able to reach a deal by Trumps informal deadline of Friday. The talks were scheduled to resume on Wednesday.
Trump made his controversial statements in an Oval Office interview with Bloomberg News on Thursday. He said, off the record, that he is not making any compromises at all with Canada and that he could not say this publicly because its going to be so insulting theyre not going to be able to make a deal.
Heres the problem. If I say no the answers no. If I say no, then youre going to put that and its going to be so insulting theyre not going to be able to make a deal ... I cant kill these people, Trump said of the Canadian government.
In another remark he did not want published, Trump said that any deal with Canada would be totally on our terms. He suggested he was scaring the Canadians into submission by repeatedly threatening to impose tariffs on imports of Canadian-made cars.
Off the record, Canadas working their ass off. And every time we have a problem with a point, I just put up a picture of a Chevrolet Impala, Trump said. The Impala is produced at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ont.
Bloomberg agreed to Trumps request to keep the comments off the record. But the Star, which obtained the quotes from a source, is not bound by any promises Bloomberg made to the president, and it published the quotes after they became part of the critical negotiations.
Trump corroborated the quotes in an afternoon tweet.
Wow, I made OFF THE RECORD COMMENTS to Bloomberg concerning Canada, and this powerful understanding was BLATANTLY VIOLATED. Oh well, just more dishonest reporting. I am used to it. At least Canada knows where I stand! he said.
In a speech in Charlotte later, Trump said: These are very dishonourable people. But I said, in the end its OK, because at least Canada knows how I feel. So its fine. Its fine. Its true.
Trudeau, who was in Oshawa as the drama unfolded, said, We will only sign a deal if it is a good deal for Canada. Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland maintained their practice of refusing to respond directly to Trumps regular incendiary statements.
Over the past year and a half, theres a lot of things that have been said from time to time, Trudeau said. I think people have noticed that our governments approach is always to stay constructive, positive, to engage on the substance of issues, and to demonstrate that we understand that the path forward is one of making sure that theres a win-win-win on all sides.
Trade experts said it was unclear how the disclosure of the quotes would affect the talks.
I suspect that the negotiators on both sides are mostly focusing on the issues, not the rhetoric. Of course, as part of their own strategy, they each might bring up Trumps comments. All of this is uncharted territory in trade negotiations, though, so nothing would surprise me, said Simon Lester, associate director of trade policy at the Cato Institute.
Eric Miller, president of a U.S.-Canada consultancy, said the disclosure will reverberate in the background of the NAFTA talks for the remainder of the negotiations.
For Canada, it will enhance the scrutiny the government will face about any outcome, Miller said. But it is also damaging to the U.S., he said, because it appears to reveal their strategy, and when it comes to the end, if each party is saying that its a good deal thats a much easier sell in every country than if some parties are facing persistent questions about whether they were rolled.
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On the record, Trump told Bloomberg that a deal was close, that it could happen by Friday but might take longer, and that Canada ultimately has no choice but to make a deal. Bloomberg quoted those remarks.
But then Trump said, Off the record: totally on our terms. Totally.
Again off the record, they came knocking on our doors last night. Lets make a deal. Please, he said.
Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, one of the journalists who conducted the interview, declined to comment.
Off the record means off the record and we should respect that, Micklethwait said in an email.
Trump, of course, is known for both dishonesty and for bragging about his own greatness, and he regularly utters dubious boasts about how he is supposedly dominating the feeble people on the other side of the bargaining table. When he claimed to have made no compromises, it is possible he was making a false claim to impress the Bloomberg journalists.
There was no apparent evidence on Friday for his claim that he has wielded a photo of an Impala as a negotiating tactic.
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BEIJINGThey are the detainees whose very existence China denies, as many as a million Uighur and other Muslim people who human rights activists claim are being held in a vast web of detention camps in western China.
A UN committee in Geneva examining Chinas record on racial discrimination rebuffed Beijings denials of the re-education camps and called on it to acknowledge the existence of the facilities and release those who are being detained. In a report released Thursday, the committee dismissed Chinas justifications that it faced a terrorist problem in the Xinjiang province as nothing more than a pretext for detaining the Muslim minorities.
A bipartisan group of 17 U.S. lawmakers, meanwhile, urged the Trump administration to sanction Chinese officials and companies allegedly involved in the detention centres.
During hearings on Chinas human rights record by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Gay McDougall, an American human rights attorney and committee vice chairwoman, cited credible reports that over one million Muslim people had been detained and said Xinjiang had been turned into something that resembles a massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy.
The UN committee report expressed alarm over numerous reports of detention of large numbers of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities held incommunicado and often for long periods, without being charged or tried, under the pretext of countering terrorism and religious extremism.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying rejected the accusations, saying they had no factual basis.
As for certain counterterrorism and stability maintenance preventive measures, I think that internationally this is in general use by lots of countries, she added.
In its submission to the UN committee earlier this month, China said that there are no such things as re-education centres or counter-extremism training centres in Xinjiang, but did note the region faced a terrorism problem. It said the claims that a million Uighurs were being held in re-education centres were completely untrue.
Chinas response to the committee, delivered by Chinese representative Hu Lianhe, did mention what it called vocational and employment training centres, where people convicted of minor offences were sent to acquire employment skills and legal knowledge with a view to assisting in their rehabilitation and reintegration. They offered no further details, including how many people were at these centres or whether they were being held against their will.
Hu said China has jailed convicted terrorists in Xinjiang.
The UN committee called on China to provide detailed information on the number of people detained in the last five years in the region and the duration and grounds for their detention. It also sought information on what kind of training people received at the vocational centres, including any political content.
China should also eliminate travel restrictions affecting Muslim minorities and hold government officials accountable for racial profiling of those detained, the committee said.
The 17 U.S. lawmakers, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., urged Washington to sanction companies and individuals, including Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party secretary in Xinjiang who previously gained attention implementing tough security policies in Tibet.
Muslim ethnic minorities are being subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, egregious restrictions on religious practice and culture, and a digitized surveillance system so pervasive that every aspect of daily life is monitored, the letter from the lawmakers said.
The Trump administration has shown a willingness to sanction officials using the Global Magnitsky Act.
In December, the Trump administration slapped sanctions on Gao Yan, a Chinese police official in Beijing, for denying medical care to Cao Shunli, a human-rights activist who died in custody. Another alleged human rights abuser hit with sanctions is Myanmar general Maung Maung Soe, who was accused of the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya people.
Originally, the Magnitsky Act of 2012 was used to impose travel bans and freeze the assets of Russian officials after Sergei Magnitsky, an attorney who exposed a Russian fraud scheme, was jailed and died in prison. But use of the act began to widen in 2016 to allow sanctions against human rights abusers.
Hua, the Chinese spokesperson, said Thursday that Chinas human rights record is far better than Americas.
If Chinas policies on ethnic minority groups and the equal rights enjoyed by them are viewed without bias and prejudice, the conclusion will be drawn that Chinas policies and record in this regard are actually far better than the U.S.
These U.S. lawmakers have no right to make these unwarranted accusations on ethnic minority issue against China, she said. I would like to advise those U.S. lawmakers, who are paid by taxpayers money, to focus on doing their job and serving Americans, instead of poking their noses in other countries domestic affairs, acting as some kind of human rights judge to make groundless accusations, or even threaten to impose unreasonable sanctions.
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The Lizard King cometh. No, not Jim Morrison a real Lizard King: A six-foot, 100-pound reptile thats been chilling in a South Florida neighbourhood and appears to be unstoppable, or at least untrappable.
The hulking monstrosity has been thwomping around in the Broward County town of Davie since Monday and has thwarted all attempts at capture, including hooks, hunting dogs and human hands.
Experts have identified it as a Nile monitor, a breed of gargantuan lizard native to Africa.
Nile monitors are the largest, most dangerous non-indigenous lizard in the United States, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Full-grown Nile monitors are known to be ill-tempered and aggressive according to Reptiles Magazine, and sometimes (gulp) they hunt in packs.
It first appeared in the backyard of the Lieberman family on Aug. 27 and has returned several times since. At first, the family thought it was an alligator because it was so massive.
Then it flicked its skinny, forked tongue.
It looked like a dinosaur, homeowner Maria Lieberman told WSVN 7News.
My kids were screaming. We just watched Jurassic Park, so it was insane.
Maria and her husband, Zach, have two children, ages 2 and 4, who have been too terrified to go outside since the creature arrived.
The lizard has been making full use of the property sunbathing, stalking through the grass, and even coming up to the sliding glass door.
Much to the familys horror, it does not appear to be afraid of people. When Zach tried to scare it off with a baseball bat, it kept coming toward him, undeterred.
He followed me right up to the front of my house, Zach told WSVN.
Im pretty sure he ate Rocky the raccoon, cause he looked like his belly was full, so God forbid, the speed that he has to get to a small child would be pretty quick.
Nile monitors do eat small mammals, but according to Ron Magill of Zoo Miami, they typically feast on rodents, birds and eggs.
Potentially, the lizard wandering around in Davie could eat a small dog.
It is not going to attack a human but will give you a nasty bite as well as some very severe scratches if you corner it and try to handle it, Magill told WSVN.
Like most non-native reptiles that slink and slither throughout Florida, the Nile monitor is an invasive species introduced to the area by people who kept them as pets and released them into the wild when they became too much to handle.
Nile monitors have been breeding in Lee, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, according to the Everglades Co-operative Invasive Species Management Area.
Theyre an amphibious menace to many native Florida animals, and have threatened some endangered species, including burrowing owls, sea turtles and crocodiles.
The scaly creature roaming around Davie apparently belonged to a 14-year-old who appears to be living out the 1985 Dead Milkmen song: Big lizard in my backyard/Cant afford to feed him anymore/Big lizard in my backyard/bustin down the neighbours door.
The teen who once had other Nile monitors but is now down to one unsuccessfully tried to recapture the giant lizard after its initial sojourn to the Leibermans home.
Mike Kimmel, a trapper who tried to catch the lizard on Tuesday, said the boy told him hed been keeping the thing in his backyard pool, according to reporting from the Daily Beast.
Experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission attempted to snag the unwanted guest with traps baited with dead rodents.
Trappers with hunting dogs tracked the scent to a burrow on the edge of the Leiberman familys tree line, but the lizard was gone.
Kimmel took another route tying chicken thighs to tree branches.
That, too, failed.
Although hes more of a python guy, Kimmel plans to try again this weekend, according to a Facebook post.
Until then, all hail the Lizard King.
TOKYOJapans Defence Ministry is seeking to more than double spending on missile defence, including purchases of costly American arsenals, to defend against North Korean threats.
The record-high 5.3 trillion yen ($62 billion) request for fiscal 2019, approved Friday by the ministry, is up 2.1 per cent from last year. The military spending has risen seven consecutive years under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The request related to missile defence rises to 424 billion yen ($4.9 billion) from about 180 billion yen ($1.2 billion) last year. The overall government budget plan is to be submitted for cabinet and parliamentary approval later this year.
The final budget could still grow because the request leaves out spending to reduce Okinawan communities burden of hosting many of 50,000 American troops stationed on the southern island and a relocation cost for some troops to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
A big chunk would buy a pair of land-based Aegis missile defence systems and a ship-to-air SM-3 Block IIA interceptor with an expanded range and accuracy developed jointly by the U.S. and Japan, as well as upgrading of fighter jets and destroyers to make them compatible with advanced interceptors.
Japan has pushed harder to upgrade and bolster its missile and strike-back capability, citing North Koreas nuclear and missile threat. The Defence Ministry, in an annual military review released this week, emphasized the need to further strengthen missile defences because North Korea hasnt taken concrete steps to denuclearize despite its pledge to do so.
Opposition to Japans big spending on missile defence has risen since Pyongyang suspended missile tests this year as it made diplomatic overtures to the U.S. and South Korea. Japans use of U.S. weapons is beneficial to its alliance with Washington, but opponents say it benefits American arms industry but not struggling Japanese makers.
In the budget request, Japans U.S. arms purchases under the Foreign Military Sales program would jump 70 per cent from last year to a record 692 billion yen ($8.1 billion).
Japan currently has a two-step missile defence system interceptors on destroyers in the Sea of Japan, and if they fail, land-to-air mobile PAC-3s. Technically, the current setup can deal with falling debris or missiles fired at Japan but is insufficient for high-altitude missiles or multiple attacks, experts say.
A pair of land-based Aegis systems can cover all of Japan and multiply missile defence, experts say. It would cost 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) more than an earlier estimate as Japan chose Lockheed Martins expensive LMSSR radar, said to be capable of shooting down cruise and other missiles on high-altitude trajectory.
It would take about six years for the system to become operational, defence officials said. It could also take longer as the plan faces opposition from many residents at intended deployment sites Akita in northern Japan and Yamaguchi in the southwest.
North Korea has tested more than 40 missiles since 2016 alone, including some intercontinental ballistic missiles over or landing near Japan, and has deployed several hundred shorter-range missiles capable of hitting the country. The defence paper says Pyongyang likely has made miniaturized nuclear warheads it can place atop ballistic missiles, an advancement of its nuclear capability that North Korea has claimed to have achieved.
Japan is currently updating its national defence guidelines and a medium-term defence program, expected at the end of the year, to reflect North Koreas threat. Japan also sees Chinas growing military spending, modernization of equipment and assertiveness in regional seas as security concern and has stepped up amphibious capabilities to defend disputed islands in the East China Sea.
In the face of Chinas rising air force capability, the ministry requested 54 billion yen ($635 million) to upgrade F-15 fighters so they can carry more ammunition, including cruise missiles, and to increase their electronic warfare capability. It also sought 92 billion yen ($1.08 billion) for six F-35 stealth fighters and 14 billion yen ($164 million) for the research of a new high-speed arsenal to defend Japanese remote islands.
The budget request includes 93 billion yen ($1.09 billion) in space and cyber defence, including purchasing of deep space surveillance radar and scaling up of a cyber-defence unit.
The security environment surrounding Japan has turned more severe and uncertain at a much faster pace than we anticipated five years ago, when we set the current guidelines, Abe told Wednesdays meeting of a government-commissioned panel on new guidelines, which he said should include space and cyber defences.
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LONDONA supporter of the Islamic State group who plotted to kill British Prime Minister Theresa May has been sentenced to at least 30 years in prison.
Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman was convicted last month of planning to bomb the entry gates to the prime ministers residence at 10 Downing Street and then attack May with a knife or gun when she emerged.
The 21-year-old was arrested in November after collecting a backpack he believed was stuffed with explosives. He thought he was getting it from IS adherents, but had been talking to undercover police.
Judge Charles Haddon-Cave sentenced Rahman Friday to life with no chance of parole for 30 years. The judge said Rahman was a very dangerous individual and it was hard to predict whether he would ever be de-radicalized.
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WASHINGTONCanada and the United States could not reach a trade deal by President Donald Trumps informal deadline of Friday, unable to immediately overcome disagreements over dairy, cultural industries, intellectual property and how to resolve trade disputes.
The final day of the scramble to hit Trumps deadline was also hampered by Trumps off the record claim on Thursday, revealed by the Star on Friday, that he was not compromising at all with Canada but could not say this publicly because its going to be so insulting theyre not going to be able to make a deal.
The North American Free Trade Agreement talks will resume on Wednesday. Both sides claimed late Friday that they had made progress over the four days of talks this week.
Were making progress. Were not there yet, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said at a news conference. She added: A win-win-win agreement is within reach.
Experts on trade law said that missing the Friday target was not a major setback, since Canada actually has at least another month to sign on to the preliminary agreement Trump struck with Mexico. But the additional delay extends the uncertainty hovering over Canadian businesses, investors and average citizens.
Shortly after the talks dissolved Friday, Trump submitted an official notification to Congress of his intention to sign a trade agreement with Mexico and with Canada if it is willing, in a timely manner, to meet the high standards for free, fair and reciprocal trade contained therein.
The notification is intended to immediately start the mandatory 90-day countdown before an agreement can be officially signed. Trump could either amend the notification to add Canada or, if no agreement is reached, try to proceed with Mexico alone.
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But there are significant legal questions about whether he has the legal right to move forward with only Mexico after notifying Congress that he was negotiating a deal with Canada as well. Senior Senate Republicans have suggested they would push back against a Mexico-only process.
The major differences between Canada and the U.S. on Friday appeared to be the same as the ones from Wednesday and Thursday.
Canada was insisting that the U.S. agree to preserve the NAFTA Chapter 19 dispute-resolution system that allows certain duties to be challenged at independent tribunals rather than in the domestic courts of the country that has imposed the duties. Canada was also insisting on keeping the NAFTA cultural exemption that allows subsidies and regulations designed to support Canadian content.
The U.S. was insisting that Canada offer more access to its tightly protected dairy industry. And the two sides had not agreed on a sunset clause that would put some sort of expiry date on the agreement.
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TANHACU, BRAZILWhen police rescued Abelar Reboucas from a coffee plantation in southern Brazil, he was bone thin. The 51-year-old worked long days for a month in the hot sun, hauling 15-gallon bags of coffee beans. His drinking water came from a ditch near a septic tank, according to government reports. When his employer refused to pay his salary for a month, he said, he was forced to live off papayas and rice.
It was a difficult life that I dont wish on anyone, Reboucas said. You go there seeking a living wage and can end up in a coffin.
Reboucas was one of over 800 workers freed by authorities from degrading labour conditions in 2016, according to the Brazilian Labor Ministry. Brazil has been a pioneer in the global fight to eradicate slave labour since 2003, when the government drastically expanded raids on plantations and factories, raised fines for companies that violated labour laws and began publishing a black list of businesses caught using forced labour.
But a stagnant economy and tighter budgets have hampered the countrys fight against such abuses. Mistreated workers are now turning to the international community for help.
Dozens of victims of degrading labour conditions at coffee farms formally accused McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and Nestle in late August of failing to ensure that their coffee is sourced from Brazilian farms that are free of slave labour.
In a complaint to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development a group of 36 countries that promotes global trade the workers accused the companies of lax oversight of their supply chains in violation of the organizations binding human rights and sustainability guidelines, which Brazil has signed.
The complaint is based in part on findings from a 2016 investigation conducted by the Danish watchdog group DanWatch, which found that major coffee companies were unable to verify the sources of their beans and that some, including Nestle, had purchased coffee from Brazilian farms that had used slave labour.
Asked for a response to the OECD complaint, Nestle and Dunkin Donuts said that they do not tolerate violations of workers rights and are striving to identify the farms that produce their coffee beans. McDonalds did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Brazil has one of the worlds broadest definitions of slave labour, including debt bondage, degrading conditions and long work hours.
But tighter budgets brought on by a stagnant economy have weakened the Labor Ministrys ability to investigate allegations of abuse. Inspections in 2017 were half of what they were in 2013, according to Brazilian government figures. Last year 341 people were rescued from degrading working conditions, compared with nearly 6,000 in 2007.
Brazil is the worlds largest coffee producer, responsible for one-third of the worlds beans. But farm owners have always depended upon cheap labour, first from over 1.5 million African slaves who worked on the plantations in the 19th century and later from Italian immigrants. Today, most labourers come from impoverished Bahia state in northern Brazil, and they are often lured to the plantations with fake promises of high wages and decent working conditions.
People have no idea this is happening. There has to be a better way, said Liordino Soares, 44, one of the rescued workers who signed the complaint to the OECD.
Soares said that the economic stagnation in his hometown of Tanhacu meant his wife, Joana, and two children sometimes went hungry while he searched for a job. Twenty years ago, he convinced Joana that they should spend three months a year picking coffee in southern Brazil.
We had to leave, he said. I was the sole supporter. If we didnt go, the family would starve.
Every June, they take a 28-hour bus ride from his home in dry, desert-like Bahia to the lush mountains of Minas, where half of Brazils coffee is produced.
At the time of their rescue in 2015, the couple worked 14-hour days picking coffee their only respite from the sun being the muddy water from a well. They shared a two-bedroom house with three couples and two children. For privacy, the families erected walls made of coffee-filter rags.
Coffee produced at the plantation where the couple worked was purchased by Nestle, according to the DanWatch investigation. Nestle said its purchases were made before the investigation, and it has since cut ties with the plantation.
In their complaint, the workers appealing to the OECD demanded that coffee companies be held responsible for their suppliers labour violations.
They can no longer argue that they dont know what is happening, said Tamara Hojaij, a researcher at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Sao Paulo that has helped the workers build their case.
Asked to respond to the workers charge, Nestle said in a statement that it encourages its suppliers to report any violations. Currently, the company said, it can confirm that 85 per cent of its coffee is purchased responsibly.
The coffee workers are not the first to take Brazilian labour disputes to international organizations. Last year, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Brazil to pay $5 million to workers formerly enslaved on a cattle ranch. Increasingly, multinational companies are having to answer for violations committed by their suppliers. Last year, Brazils labour court held the clothing company Zara responsible when a subcontractor employed slave labour at a Brazilian factory.
But following a coffee bean from stalk to mug can be nearly impossible. Unlike a pair of jeans sourced from a specific sweatshop and tagged to a specific designer, commodities are often sold in bulk from co-operatives that buy from diverse sources.
Dunkin Donuts said that it is studying ways to trace coffee to individual producers and that it ceases relationships with coffee suppliers that do not comply with its code of conduct. The company reserves the right to periodically inspect supplier farms.
Dunkin Brands is committed to treating everyone with respect and fairness, from our employees and franchisees to the farmers and workers that provide our coffee and other ingredients, the company said in a statement.
While coffee that is 100 per cent traceable does exist in Brazil, it comes at a 30 per cent markup, according to Vanusia Nogueira, director of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, because of the high levels of oversight required. After the 2016 DanWatch investigation, companies came searching for coffee beans whose origins could be documented, but many were not willing to pay for it, Nogueira said.
There was a wave of concern, but then it cooled, she said.
Amid growing concerns over labour conditions, coffee farmers are increasingly turning to automation. The rural workers union estimates machines have cut farm labour by more than half in the past 10 years and shortened the harvesting season by two months.
While many are calling for stricter labour oversight, some migrants in Brazils desolate northeast believe that any job is better than no job. Joana Soares, the woman rescued from slave labour with her husband in 2015, goes back to the coffee fields every year. She said government raids on coffee farms have spooked owners.
The situation is worse, she said. Now, fewer people want to take us.
For the past few days I, and a lot of other Canadians who share my status as a visible minority, have been watching the battle play out over just how much or how little diversity is good, or bad, for Canada.
First, we watched Maxime Berniers fear-mongering about a cult of diversity and extreme multiculturalism. His then-boss, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, let that fester for days before tepidly expressing concern.
Then, when Prime Minister Trudeau called out a heckler for her rant against asylum seekers, Scheer was quick to step in with his own divisive rhetoric. This is how you can tell when Liberals are losing, he tweeted. Concerned about illegal border crossers? Youre a racist. Worried about the cost? Youre un-Canadian.
And if anyone was wondering whether Berniers resignation from the party signalled the Conservatives might shift a little left of the ultra-right, they got their answer on Sunday when Conservative convention delegates voted in favour of ending birthright citizenship. This is a new low that even Donald Trump has so far resisted.
But the Conservative agenda isnt just about undermining citizenship access for immigrants. Its fuelling discrimination against all racialized communities. And it ignores the reality that with the exception of Indigenous peoples, we are pretty much all immigrants.
That includes me, and you, Mr. Scheer.
As someone among those implicated by this rhetoric, and as someone with personal experience with racist hecklers, I commend the prime minister for taking a stand.
But if we really want to stop hate, we need to do more than just call it out. We need to recognize that it is growing economic inequality that creates the conditions for hate to fester. Thats the reality Andrew Scheer is trying to exploit: the economic injustice that has left so many very hard-working Canadians wondering why they cant make ends meet, and what or who is to blame.
This summer I met a lot of those Canadians, Canadians who Scheer hopes will tune into his message. Workers juggling multiple jobs just to pay the rent and wondering why good quality, long-term work is so hard to find. Families that, every month, are just a few dollars away from not being able to pay their bills. Students grappling with debt and a job market with very little to offer. Seniors having to choose between paying for groceries and the medication they need. Parents struggling to find child care they can afford and rely on. Too many wondering how theyll ever retire without living in poverty.
It doesnt have to be this way.
The Maxime Berniers, Andrew Scheers, Doug Fords and hecklers of the world are peddling what can sound like a very simple solution: keeping immigrants out means more jobs for the rest of us, being able to afford a better apartment, smaller class sizes for our kids, shorter wait times at the hospital. Never mind all the evidence to the contrary: according to Scheer, keeping immigrants out is a panacea.
Canadians have been waiting too long for real solutions. The prime minister and his government have the power and the resources to implement the solutions that really will make peoples lives better. And unless they do that, they are perpetuating the conditions that allow division and hate to resonate and spread.
There is no excuse for inaction in the face of economic injustice. Its time to implement real solutions.
Solutions like universal pharmacare, which economists say is more than feasible and will save us billions of dollars. Solutions like universal child care, which we know would more than pay for itself by allowing more parents, especially women, to go to work. Solutions like an immediate federal investment in housing, which we know would make an enormous difference to families struggling to pay skyrocketing rents for substandard accommodations.
We know we can help pay for these and other concrete solutions by finally clamping down on tax loopholes and tax havens, so that everyone in Canada, including the richest, pay their fair share. But Canadians have been waiting too long for that simple and fair fix.
If we really want to stop hate from spreading, we need to put an end to that waiting. We need to truly understand what economic injustice and inequality looks like for hard-working Canadians grappling with it every day on the ground, at home and at work. And we need a government that takes concrete steps to fix it now.
As I tweeted in response to Bernier: Canadas identity is based on inclusion, and our unyielding belief in lifting each other up in response to attempts to divide us.
This value is our North Star. It is the value that underpins everything that makes us proud to be Canadians. And it must be a driving principle when it comes to standing up to all those inspired by Donald Trumps example.
So lets go beyond calling out hate to stopping it at its root, and act now to lift up all Canadians. Thats how we really can move closer to creating a welcoming and truly inclusive Canada.
Jagmeet Singh is the leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.
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Canadians can influence Floridas death penalty, Aug. 26
Dec. 11, 2018 will mark 56 years since two men were hanged in Canada. These last state-sanctioned executions to happen here took place at Torontos infamous Don Jail in 1962. In 1976, Canada abolished capital punishment.
Before some Canadians take issue with Floridas use of the death penalty a punishment I am against we should take note of our own countrys attitude to sanctioning state murder.
Believe it or not, most Canadians favour bringing back capital punishment, even while Americans are slowly moving away from it. Repeated polls reveal that a majority of Canadians to this day favour some return of the death penalty. According to a 2016 survey by Abacus Data, 58 per cent of Canadians want their country to join the likes of China, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia in sanctioning state murder!
The ultimate punishment is wrong. Abolitionists argue the death penalty is more expensive than imprisonment, has little effectiveness as a deterrent and risks the execution of innocent people. In 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty. Since then, more than 100 convicted people have been exonerated and freed from death row.
Most democratic governments have done away with capital punishment. Of all the major democracies, only three still execute criminals India, Japan and the U.S. Capital punishment is viewed in most of the civilized world as unfair and cruel. A condition of entry into the European Union specifies that any country wishing to join cannot practice capital punishment.
And yet, a majority of Canadians want this form of punishment reinstated under certain circumstances! Go figure. Amnesty International Canada should prioritize, focusing its efforts on educating Canadians on the immorality of capital punishment, not on calling upon snowbirds to advocate for its abolition.
Emile Therien, Ottawa
Gee, Canadians drop bigger coin and stay longer as tourists in Florida than do others. Therefore, they can call upon Florida to change direction? Can you imagine the outrage if Americans similarly mobilized to influence Canadian law, based on the fact that they spend more money in Canada than others do?
Talk about hypocrisy.
Doll brothel opening in city, Aug. 28
This seems to be welcome news, as it will provide some respite to women who are serving against their will in the sex industry.
Women in brothels, the porn industry, and so on are exploited to satisfy the lust of men throughout the world. They are treated very roughly and brutally, worse than animals in some cases.
Even with movements like #metoo, the world is still a male-dominated place. Something concrete needs to be done in the matter.
Justice has not been served until no women suffer such treatment anywhere.
Justin Trudeau has long said he wanted his prime ministership to be judged by how he handles two big relationships with the United States and with Indigenous Canadians.
The Prime Minister may well remember this week as the one when those words truly came back to bite him.
A high-risk purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline is now in a dangerous limbo and its been a week of high-stakes drama over the future of Canada-U.S. trade.
Trudeaus critics, from all over the political spectrum, are keen to cast these developments as major relationship fails for the PM.
Indigenous activists celebrated a Federal Court ruling on TransMountain on Thursday as a sharp rebuke to the Trudeau governments sincerity about citizen engagement. In fact, it was; in the courts words, this federal government had failed to conduct a meaningful, two-way dialogue with people affected by the pipelines proposed expansion in B.C.
Instead, the ruling said, the government simply took note of peoples concerns, which, as the court pointed out, isnt the same as taking complaints seriously. We might want to pause on that observation this is a court, giving the Trudeau government lessons in how to listen to citizens concerns.
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The legal reprimand would be stinging to any government that promised to do a lot of listening, as this one did, but its especially searing in this context because of the constituency being ignored: Indigenous people.
The Trudeau government failed in its rhetoric about reconciliation with First Nations and this court decision shows that, said Khelsilem, a spokesman for the Squamish Nation. We tell the prime minister to start listening and put an end to this type of relationship.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is casting the down-to-the-wire negotiations in Washington this week as a sign that the Trudeau government hasnt stayed in the loop on trade talks with the United States and Mexico. Scheer said Canadas scramble to catch up after the U.S. and Mexico reached a deal on Monday was a not optimal way to handle Canada-U.S. trade.
If people did have high expectations of how Trudeau would deal with these two relationships with Indigenous people and Americans that is entirely his own doing.
The primacy of Indigenous relationships is explicitly laid down in the mandate letters Trudeau gives to all his ministers, including the most recent flurry of letters that went to cabinet members involved in the latest shuffle this summer.
No relationship is more important to me and to Canada than the one with Indigenous Peoples, the letter states.
Only one relationship might come close again, according to Trudeaus own words.
Months before he became prime minister in 2015, Trudeau delivered a keynote speech at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, in which he went on at some length about how a prime ministers main duty is to keep an eye on the historic ties with our American neighbour.
Management of Canada-U.S. relations is among the largest markers by which history remembers our leaders, Trudeau said.
To be fair, Trudeau made that speech long before anyone thought Donald Trump would be the next president of the United States and anyone includes Trump, himself.
Relationships with Trump are not easy, to say the least, and no one would accuse Trudeau and team of not trying to make the best of a difficult situation since the 2016 presidential election. Conservatives like to say that Trudeau brought on all this latest difficulty by provoking Trumps wrath back at the G-7 in June. But we also know that keeping the peace with Trump seems to involve some level of capitulation, and would Canadians want Trudeau simply giving the President everything he wants? Obviously not.
Its interesting to go back and read that 2015 speech, though, in light of the 2018 realities. Take this part:
Canadas special relationship with the United States is not automatic. Like any strong relationship, you have to put a lot of work into it, and earn it. There is nothing pre-ordained about our influence or value in Washingtons eyes. Policy that fails to acknowledge this basic fact will fail, Trudeau said.
Threats and a combative approach arent going to give us any real influence in Washington. We have to look at the whole picture, to make sure we really understand the true nature of U.S. interests.
Would Trudeau rewrite that speech today? No doubt. This has been an eventful week in rewriting and revising from trade deals to citizen-engagement exercises. All governments have hard weeks, but this one was a reminder to the Prime Minister to be careful about what you say is most important to you.
Susan Delacourt is a former Star reporter and freelance columnist based in Ottawa. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@bell.net
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Europes scorching summer is finally cooling down, but the angry passions driving its politics are not. Every week now, the menacing drumbeats of the continents resurgent far-right forces are getting louder.
In the east German city of Chemnitz this week, a seething mob of more than 5,000 anti-immigrant protesters, including neo-Nazis, clashed for two nights with counter-demonstrators shouting Nazis out, leaving several people injured.
In Milan on Tuesday, leaders of the extreme-right governments of Italy and Hungary together called on Europe to send all illegal refugees back to Africa and vowed to make next Mays European parliamentary elections a defining battle over immigration.
And next weekend in Sweden, in a country known the world over as a beacon of liberal values, a radical-right political party founded by neo-Nazis is expected to obtain record support in that countrys election.
That certainly wasnt where the trajectory of Europes 21st-century journey was supposed to lead.
A year ago, there was optimism that the extremist ghosts of Europes bloody past were locked in a vault forever. In Britain, there were the first signs of revolt against the folly of Brexit. In France, the victory of Emmanuel Macron over the extremist National Front was decisive. And in Germany, Angela Merkel appeared headed to an easy victory in last Septembers election.
But then it turned ugly. Quite suddenly, the floor collapsed beneath the moderate parties supporting the liberal democratic order, and Europes far-right parties emboldened by the warm embrace of Americas Donald Trump and his comrade-in-arms, Russias Vladimir Putin dramatically broke through.
In September, Merkels party obtained its worst result in 70 years and Germanys far-right party became the largest opposition party. In October, an anti-immigrant politician became prime minister in the Czech Republic. In December, an extreme right-wing party joined the government in Austria and now dominates it. And last March and April, the far-right forces in Italy and Hungary made major gains in their elections.
So what does this all mean? Where is Europe heading?
Each countrys story is unique, and complex, but there are new patterns emerging.
When the far right started gaining popularity in Europe, it was widely believed that the rise of right-wing populism was largely a response to the economic distress caused by the massive 2008 recession. Once this distress receded or so it was thought so would the populist threat.
But that hasnt happened. Europes economy has largely rebounded, and unemployment has fallen in most areas. Even with Muslim refugees the flashpoint of so many protests the trends are down. According to the United Nations, fewer than 40,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea this year. That is compared to more than a million in 2015.
Yet in elections this year in Italy (with 77 per cent fewer migrants than last year) and in Hungary (with virtually no Muslim refugees), the main campaign issue of the far-right parties was the threat of being overrun by Muslims.
When in power, far-right governments in Europe have shown little appetite to deal with economic challenges. But now, with the economy relatively strong in most countries, they dont have to. Instead, they are able to push identity issues and stoke fears of foreigners running wild even when the facts dont bear that out.
Cynical and dishonest? Yes, but effective with many voters for the time being.
All signs suggest that Europes far-right nationalist parties are on the offensive. They clearly have the momentum. They know the enormous power of a simple tribal message that stresses identity and country over a chaotic world of immigrants and globalization.
This means that, in response, the liberal forces must dramatically sharpen their game.
They have only begun to come up with effective strategies to deal with the genuine crisis of inequality and unfairness created by the economic policies of the past. As far-right leaders flounder when actually governing, this presents a crucial opportunity for moderate parties.
But even more important, they need to grab back the notion of nation from the nationalists. It will be a long, hard struggle, as British historian Timothy Garton Ash wrote in The Guardian, but the challenge is clear:
Liberal Europe has to find ways of addressing those deep emotional needs for community and identity that populists exploit. As you can see in every World Cup football crowd, national identity remains an incomparable source of passion and belonging.
It can be done. Until recently in the United States, the Republican Party seemed to have a monopoly among voters on issues of flag and country, but that has changed. Virtually overnight, the disastrous Trump presidency has given Democrats an opening.
For Europes far-right threat to be confronted, the continents moderate forces desperately need to find a similar opening.
FAR RIGHT AT A GLANCE
Austria
The far-right Freedom Party (FPO), founded by former Nazis with a past history of anti-Semitism, obtained 26 per cent of the vote in Decembers election.
Its leaders exploited the backlash against the arrival of tens of thousands of Muslim asylum-seekers in 2015.
The FPO became a junior partner of Austrias ruling coalition under Conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, but it has set the governments agenda against immigration and Islam.
The government, which calls for an axis with Italy and Germany against migration, has just begun Austrias six-month term in the influential role of European Union president.
Germany
The far-right Alternative for Germany party (known by its German initials, AfD) won 13 per cent of the vote in last years election.
Chancellor Angela Merkels party, although still retaining power in a coalition, received its worst result in 70 years largely as punishment for Merkels open-door refugee policy in 2015.
The AfD became the first far-right grouping in more than 60 years to hold a seat in the federal parliament and is now the largest opposition party.
As Germanys fastest-growing party, it attracted voters who are anti-immigrant, anti-European and anti-establishment.
Hungary
Last April, Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a landslide victory in an election dominated by immigration.
Orban darkly warned of Muslim invaders even though Hungary has taken in virtually no refugees and has a tiny Muslim population.
Orban and his party have worked to cripple the political opposition, limit press freedom and corrupt Hungarys judicial system.
He has vowed that the European Parliament elections next May will bring a wave of Christian democracy to the continent.
Italy
Once a marginal fringe, Italys extreme right Lega party, or The League, won the third-largest share (18 per cent) of the vote in Marchs election.
Since then, it has become the driving force in a radically right-wing coalition government with the anti-establishment Five Star party.
The League is led by Matteo Salvini, who has become Italys interior minister and deputy prime minister and is now regarded as the countrys most popular politician.
Relentless in his anti-immigrant actions and describing refugees as rapists and drug dealers, Salvini has become one of Europes most prominent nationalist leaders.
Poland
Polish democracy has been under siege ever since the far-right Law and Justice party won a majority government in 2015.
The government has packed the countrys courts with loyalists, restricted freedom of the media and undermined opposition civic groups.
It passed a widely condemned law making it illegal to blame Poland for crimes committed during the Holocaust, and enacted anti-refugee policies.
Condemned by the European Union, Poland has relied on the strong political support of Hungary, whose government has also been accused of authoritarianism.
Sweden
The Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigrant party founded by neo-Nazis in the 1980s, is expected to obtain record support in the countrys election next weekend.
The far-right party may end up in second place, with one poll even putting them tied for first.
If this happens, it would be stunning in a country internationally known for a long-held openness to refugees.
Exploiting a growing public backlash, the Swedish Democrats have downplayed the racist attacks from their past, focusing instead on the costs of welcoming migrants and the crime they allegedly bring.
Start with a simpler problem than NAFTA: what if Trump is impeached because the Democrats win the coming U.S. mid-term elections?
The anti-Trump crescendo keeps crescending. The irrepressible Robert Reich now says impeachments too good for him; his presidency must be annulled. Its no metaphor; he means literally obliterated, as if it never was.
The result would be civil violence, at least, and unhealable divisions. This began with Nixons impeachment in 1974. The payback festered ever since. If Trumps dumped, there will be payback for the payback on the payback.
So yes, he should go, but the way he came: electorally and democratically.
And remember that Trump wasnt elected by racists, whove always existed in the U.S. His key demographic was working-class voters in Rust Belt states who felt betrayed by Democrats such as Clinton and Obama, in ways like NAFTA. They turned to Trump not because they liked his style but out of desperation.
Now he seems to have delivered on one of his main pledges, which no one anticipated. In his bilateral manoeuvring with Mexico, he got the rules on wages for autoworkers changed in workers favour. And so we come to NAFTA.
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Let me start by stating my premise (and, yes, Trumps). NAFTA sucks.
The core of NAFTA, IMO, was leveraging the low wages Mexican workers received to either move production there from Canada and the U.S., or drive wages down under threat of relocating, once NAFTA opened the borders. It left a reign of economic terror, smashed unions and broken communities.
The leaders who signed those deals Reagan, Clinton, Mulroney, Chretien knew what they were doing to their people and embraced it. When Mulroney ran for PC leader, he denounced free trade by describing exactly how it would hammer Canadian workers. Then, in power, he did it.
How bizarre is it that Trump undoes their vile work? It makes me squirrely because I have no explanation. Except he has no loyalties, not even to his class. (And why didnt he negotiate Mexico into paying for his wall, too?)
What other pluses are in his deal with Mexico? They cancelled NAFTAs dispute settlement process (Chapter 19), a useless cosmetic crock installed to allow Mulroney to claim victory when he signed the original deal. For reasons incomprehensible to me, Canada remains devoted to it.
They narrowed the grounds for the odious Chapter 11, which lets businesses sue governments if they dont profit as much as theyd fantasized, due to public policies. All in all, this is a better NAFTA than the one we had.
Yes, its also true that they double-crossed us (Lawrence Martin) and cannot be trusted (Thomas Walkom). But what else is new? Foreign affairs is systematized lying and betrayal. You price that in beforehand.
There are other negatives. NAFTAs energy provision stops us from using our resources ourselves instead of sending them south. But we have bigger energy problems based on internal disagreements, and, with the rise of fracking, the U.S. is less likely to strongarm us.
Then theres Canadian supply management in dairy products, which Trudeau supports, against Trumps demand for no tariffs. I wish I understood it better. In principle, I think nations should control their own food supply, though I dont know if its already too late, and if dairy is only a remnant of a possibility.
So if Canada chose to exit NAFTA because of dairy or even Chapter 19, well, that would be OK with me, too. Because frankly, I dont give much of a damn. We were screwed when we got in and once we did, we were sure to be screwed if we got out, due to how massively weve rejigged our economy.
Still, its hard to picture the Trudeau team staying calm and carrying on as they walk away from NAFTA, since theyve commited so ardently to it. It may be better for them to stay on till another crew (though none is yet in sight) arrives with clearer ideas on trading in a brave new NAFTA-less world. The get-out provisions in the betrayal deal even make that a bit less daunting.
And if it were up to me to decide? Back off, eh. Im still working on that.
Rick Salutin is a freelance columnist and commentator for the Star about all things current affairs and politics. He is based in Toronto. Reach him on email: is a freelance columnist and commentator for the Star about all things current affairs and politics. He is based in Toronto. Reach him on email: ricksalutin@ca.inter.net
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VANCOUVEROfficials are on the hunt for a black bear that chased after a jogger in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park Thursday morning.
Authorities believe this is the same bear that killed a dog in the same park last week, conservation officer Sgt. Simon Gravel said in an interview. The plan is to euthanize the bear once it is caught, he added.
The bear reportedly followed the jogger for a long distance, he said.
She was well educated and knew what to do, but unfortunately the bear kept following her and was very concerning behaviour.
The jogger is shaken but not hurt otherwise, according to Gravel.
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Because the bear escalated its aggression from dogs to humans, authorities have decided to set a trap for the bear and euthanize the animal, he said.
A bear like this, that shows signs of habituation to humans and food condition is a high level of public safety risk.
Two trails in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park were shut down Thursday morning as a precaution.
The plan is to reopen the park once Metro Vancouver staff have put up more signage in the park warning visitors about the recent level of bear activity. People are reminded to carry bear spray and keep their dogs on a leash.
With fall approaching, we want to remind the public that bears will be hungry, they are trying to pack on as many calories as possible before going into hibernation this fall, said Chris Doyle, deputy chief at the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
Gravel acknowledged it is difficult to assess why this particular bear, which is smaller than the average black bear and does not have cubs, has become this aggressive toward humans. In general, people who feed bears or leave food accessible to bears contribute to this kind of behaviour, he said.
One bear was euthanized in North Vancouver last year, according to the B.C. Ministry of Environment.
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VANCOUVERBC Ferries announced the cancellation of four ferry departures between Vancouver to Victoria on Friday morning, causing long wait times heading into the Labour Day long weekend.
The four cancelled sailings on the Spirit of Vancouver Island include two departures at 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. from the Swartz Bay (Victoria) terminal heading to Tsawwassen (Vancouver), and two departures at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. from the Tsawwassen terminal heading back to Swartz Bay.
While the company has added an additional sailing from Tsawwassen at 11 p.m., the cancellations have created long wait times for passengers trying to get on board. According to the BC Ferries website, hourly sailings from Tsawwassen are fully booked until 6 p.m., and departures from Swartz Bay are booked until 5 p.m. at the time of publication.
A statement from BC Ferries said that the cancellations were due to an incident involving one of the ships rescue boat, and an additional tweet explained that this was part of a boat safety drill.
The company has also said on Twitter that customers will be refunded for reservations that they have already made.
Another tweet said that the ferries would be operating at a reduced capacity due to the incident.
According to BC Ferriess first quarter results released this month, passenger traffic has been at the highest in 20 years and vehicle traffic is the highest in the companys history.
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Louis C.K.'s return to stand-up came and went, in the form of a 15-minute surprise set that only about a hundred people witnessed.
The comic had been publicly silent since he admitted in November that five women's allegations of sexual misconduct against him - including his masturbating in front of them - "are true."
"I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want," C.K. said in response to a New York Times investigation. "I will now step back and take a long time to listen."
On Sunday, he performed an unscheduled set at the Comedy Cellar, a New York comedy institution that C.K. used to frequent and that's known for attracting big-name drop-ins.
Cellar owner Noam Dworman said he found out about the set the next morning via text messages that employees sent after he had put his kids to bed. But he did watch a tape of the set and said that when the host announced C.K., the audience broke out into "sustained applause," with some folks "giving a little bit extra," as if to show they "wanted to hear what he had to say."
C.K. did new material but didn't address his past misdeeds and subsequent apology.
News of the set, first reported Tuesday by the Times, sparked a larger conversation on social media and elsewhere about men who have quietly returned to their professions after stepping out of the limelight following sexual misconduct allegations. (C.K.'s is the rare instance in which he eventually admitted wrongdoing, after years of denying rumors.)
Comedy bookers and club owners are grappling with how to react. Are they the gatekeepers? What responsibility do they have, as the public reckons with a wave of sexual misconduct revelations?
"I think too many people are interpreting it as a reflection of how we feel or don't feel about what Louis was accused of, or admitted to doing. It's not really about that," Dworman said of his club allowing C.K. to drop in. "It's more of an ACLU approach, which I've always had, which is to say that we're a platform for comedy, that handing out punishments is something that institutions of courts of law do."
And while "every club owner, it's their business and they can draw their own lines," Dworman said, "the public needs to be careful about expecting that the club owner is obligated to draw that line for them, as opposed to saying, 'I don't want to see Louis C.K., I won't go see him.' "
Unlike in other professional settings, stand-ups can operate like independent contractors. The very famous ones can produce their own live shows and have massive email lists they can use to contact their fans. And, as with C.K's drop-in set, sometimes comics perform simply to work out material, rather than to get paid.
In recent weeks, Aziz Ansari has also been performing at abruptly announced shows around the country in sizable venues as part of his "Working Out New Material" tour. The comic had retreated after being accused anonymously in January of sexual impropriety. (He said that his encounter with a woman "by all indications was completely consensual.")
For Marshall Chiles, owner of Atlanta's Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, the questions when it comes to comics like C.K. are: "Is he going to be doing hate speech? Is he going to be encouraging that behavior, or is he discouraging that behavior, even with his transgressions? . . . [What] if he had this amazing 15-minute bit of the errors of his ways?"
While Chiles says he'll never tell a comic what to say onstage, "there is a responsibility of some sense. If you got a platform, a comedy club pulling 1,000 people a week, you have a responsibility that what's onstage is not hurting society."
"If he hadn't apologized, and he was trying to fight it or justify it, I would not be tolerant of him onstage," Chile said. "The fact that he handled it the way he did, I believe in giving people second chances. I've made mistakes."
Dworman was surprised that C.K. returned so soon, and in such a setting, and that he didn't address the controversy at all. He suspects audiences want C.K. to, "like Richard Pryor, talk about his past."
"In comedy there is a long history of comedians with pasts that people disapproved of, talking about that stuff onstage and being lauded for that," Dworman said. "Richard Pryor famously talked about all these terrible things he had done and nobody had ever thought that somebody shouldn't put Richard Pryor on. That didn't mean they approved of" his actions.
On Tuesday, many comics took to Twitter to post their shock, and disappointment, with C.K.'s return.
"The fact that Louis, a comedian whose whole thing is plumbing the depths of his own psyche, apparently didn't mention his most recent, famous news in his surprise set tells you all you need to know about his desire for 'redemption,' right?" tweeted comedian Paul Tompkins.
Comedian Jackie Kashian tweeted that she didn't think C.K. would perform stand-up until he wrote a bit about his actions.
"Make THAT funny is what I thought would be his comeback," she wrote.
It's unclear whether C.K. will hit the stage again anytime soon. But he's now broken his silence, almost 10 months after he decided to "take a long time to listen."
As New York comic Sarah Lazarus wrote in a viral tweet, "I'm still on the same shampoo bottle as when louis ck's time out started."
GODFREY An Alton man was arrested Friday for allegedly calling in a threat to Lewis and Clark Community College earlier this week.
Mintai A. Bedford, 32, of the 1100 block of Washington Avenue, Alton, was charged Thursday with making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony. The charge was sealed until Friday.
An Illinois Catholic diocese has agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a lawsuit filed by three men who say they were molested by their priest when they were boys, according to The Associated Press.
The three men, who requested anonymity, say they were repeatedly abused by Father Leonard Mateo of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet between 1980 and 1982. They were all under the age of 11. They made the allegations against Mateo in 2014.
ALTON Two people have been charged with first-degree murder and three have been charged with weapons counts after a shooting Aug. 26 on West 19th Street in Alton.
Charged with first-degree murder are Markell Taylor, 18, and Jordan T. Jackson, 20. Each one is accused of shooting Keron W. Hickman in the leg and back in a Sunday incident. Bail on each is set at $1 million. Depending on the circumstances, each could receive a life sentence.
Three people are charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. They are Daelin Hampton, 19; Bryanna L. Kingcade, 19; and Kiondo Jones, 19. Bail on Hampton is $103,000; bail on Kingcade is $53,000; and Jones bail is $53,000.
Each suspect is from the North St. Louis County area. All of them are in custody, except for Jackson and Hampton. Police said there is an active search for the two missing suspects, and anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.
They should be considered armed and dangerous, said Lt. Ken Wojtowicz, who headed the investigation for the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis.
Jackson and Taylor are also charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. Jackson is also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, and Taylor is also charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
The aggravated battery with a firearm charges accuse both Taylor and Jackson of shooting two different victims. Both suspects are charged with attempted first-degree for shooting one of those two victims.
The identity of the suspects was announced Thursday at a news conference at Sandidge Alton Law Enforcement Center. Authorities are releasing only limited information, pending further information.
Police Chief Jason Jake Simmons praised the St. Louis Major Case Squad and the Madison County States Attorneys Office for tracking down the facts of the case.
Violent crime will not be tolerated in Alton, he said.
States Attorney Tom Gibbons said police and prosecutors in his office are responsible for the progress in the case.
If you come here and commit a violent crime, you are going to get a heavy dose of Madison County justice, he said. Gibbons said assistant states attorneys Crystal Uhe and Rachell Aud-Crowe are largely responsible for his offices contribution to the investigation.
JERSEYVILLE Recent felony charges filed by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include:
Kyle B. Aulabaugh, 36, of the 1600 block of Rock Springs Drive, Alton, was charged Aug. 20 with unlawful use of a credit/debit card, a Class 4 felony. According to court records, on Jan. 17. Aulabaugh allegedly used another mans card to rack up more than $300 in sales at multiple Grafton businesses.
A growing chunk of school funding is bypassing the classroom to pay for past due retirement bills, according to a new study that found such spending increased more in Illinois than any other state.
A study by Bellwether Education Partners found that education spending on a national level over the 10 years ending in 2014 slightly increased, by 1.3 percent, even though student population grew by more than 3 percent. But spending on education benefits, typically teacher retirement and retiree healthcare spending, has exploded. From 2005 to 2014, the national benefit spending increased by 22 percent on average, leaving fewer dollars for everything else.
Benefit spending is increasing much faster than K-12 spending overall, and as a result, benefits are eating up a rising share of school district budgets, according to the study.
Illinois benefit spending from all sources increased at more than five times the rate that the states overall education budget grew over that same time, an 85 percent increase from federal, state and local sources.
Illinois is in dire straits in terms of ballooning benefit spending, said Max Marchitello, senior policy analyst with Bellwether Education Partners.
The Teachers Retirement Fund of Illinois, which manages the states teacher pension funds outside of Chicago, ow its own is more than $73 billion underfunded.
Blame for underfunded pensions is often laid at the feet of previous state and local officials, all too happy to offer future benefits that had no effect on immediate budgets.
Tier I teachers in Illinois those hired before Jan. 1, 2011 have benefit plans that include compounding cost-of-living increases.
Even with a revamp of the states education funding formula, the report predicts the problem will only get worse because of the amount of debt and mandated payment increases.
Illinois problem of ballooning benefits spending is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, Marchitello wrote in the report. The states recent reform of its school funding system and the decision for the state to pick up the bill for Chicago Public Schools benefit costs are positive but wont be sufficient to disrupt this troubling pattern.
The problem of growing teacher benefits has gotten relatively little attention, Marchitello wrote, noting that nationally it amounted to a $7 billion cut in instructional spending.
As a comparison, a $7 billion cut in instructional spending is comparable to cutting the main federal investment in education, Title I, Part A, by more than 40 percent. If Congress proposed slashing Title I by more than 40 percent, educators, parents and community members across the country would inundate the Capitol with calls to protect the funds, he wrote. And yet these cuts occurred quietly, state by state and year after year, and hardly anyone noticed.
Even though more money is going to teacher benefits, teachers might not notice.
For teachers, higher benefit costs do not necessarily mean theyre receiving more valuable pensions or more generous health care, according to the report. It is instead more likely that the state is spending more to pay down debts. Worse still, growing benefit costs make salary increases far less likely because states by and large are not increasing their K-12 investments.
The study recommends careful consideration and reforms.
Legislators also feel the squeeze, Marchitello wrote. Their investments in education are not going as far as they used to, and fewer dollars make their way into the classroom. To increase K-12 funding, state policymakers need to make even larger allocations to accommodate the ever-increasing benefit costs. Doing so can lead to politically difficult decisions, such as raising taxes, as Arizona recently did.
Cole Lauterbach reports on Illinois government and statewide issues for INN. Lauterbach has managed and produced shows for news/talk radio stations in both Bloomington/Normal and Peoria, and created award-winning programs for Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
SPRINGFIELD State lawmakers sometimes forget that public schools are governed by locally elected school boards.
Gov. Bruce Rauner recently vetoed a bill that would have set a statewide minimum teacher salary of $40,000 by the 2022-23 school year. The bills author, state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, has said he will work to override the governors veto this fall.
Existing state law puts the minimum teacher salary at $9,000. That law, which seems absurd today, went into effect in 1980. But it isnt needed.
Lawmakers said last spring that new teachers in Illinois made on average about $39,000 a year. And the average teacher salary in the state was $64,516 in 2017, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. But those salaries also largely depend on where in the state these teachers work. The cost of living in Chicago and the suburbs, for example, is significantly higher than downstate, so higher salaries are necessary.
State lawmakers shouldnt set wages for specific industries in general. And selecting a publicly funded industry with an influential voting bloc during an election year is an even worse choice. Pandering never looks good. Whats next? Setting minimum salaries for municipal or township or county employees?
[That] approach to teacher compensation both limits a school districts local control and imposes a significant unfunded mandate on school districts, the governor wrote in his veto message.
School boards agree that its a bad idea.
It is estimated that nearly half of the school districts in the state would be affected by such a new salary requirement, the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance wrote in a legislative update for members. Any gains in funding due to the new Evidence-Based Funding Formula would be totally consumed by the new salary mandate in many school districts. Under such a law, the net result could actually hurt classroom teachers as school districts would be forced to reduce the teaching force in order to pay the higher salaries.
A shortage of teachers was one reason supporters touted for the mandatory minimum salary. But if a local school district is having a hard time recruiting enough competent teachers, its school board can decide to raise the starting salary to whatever is necessary.
And while theres a lot to be said for local control, the state is obligated to step in occasionally. Im not talking about Rauners half-baked plan in 2016 to turn control of Chicago Public Schools over to the state. More along the lines of the state takeover of nearly bankrupt Round Lake Unit School District 116 in 2002.
More specifically, the state must step in, as it did this year, to prevent abuses such as pension spiking, which local school boards were causing but the state was having to pay for. That makes sense. Setting a minimum wage doesnt.
Brett Rowland is news editor of Illinois News Network and the digital hub ILNews.org. He welcomes your comments. Contact Brett at browland@ilnews.org.
Zoe Recruitment isan HR consultancy company that exists to contribute to the transformation ofproductivity and work ethic, by linking talent to business/organizations, andplacing people right. At Zoe we believe this then forms the foundation forsustainable business and on a larger scale, economic growth. They arerecruiting for an international construction engineering company with multipleoperations.
Joshua Kushner and Karlie Kloss attend the Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on March 26, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
A Washington wedding could be on the cards very soon, as supermodel Karlie Kloss and fiance Joshua Kushner - who's brother is married to US President Trump's daughter Ivanka - are said to be keen to tie the knot within the next 12 months.
Twenty-six-year-old model Karlie only became engaged to her long-term beau Joshua Kushner over the summer following six years of dating, but it looks like they're not wasting any time becoming husband and wife.
According to a source, the couple would ideally like to get hitched in less than 12 months' time - on the 33-year-old businessman's farm in New Jersey.
A source said: "They want their wedding to be an understated affair. They're planning to get married next spring or summer on his family farm in New Jersey."
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And, although she wants the nuptials to be "romantic", she doesn't want it too flash.
The insider explained to Life and Style magazine: "They don't want it to be stuffy at all. She wants things to be romantic and easy."
The bride-to-be has also started to put her guest list together - with the likes of Taylor Swift and sister-in-law Ivanka Trump making the cut - while her bridal party is already said to be up to 12 after she asked some of her friends to be bridesmaids.
Joshua proposed to the Kode with Klossy founder last month during a romantic getaway to New York, and the pair are "overjoyed" with the news.
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An insider said at the time: "He proposed a few weeks ago during a romantic weekend together in upstate New York. They're both overjoyed and happily celebrating. Their hearts are full and they're excited to build their future together."
Karlie then confirmed the news on her Instagram account a few weeks later.
She said: "I love you more than I have words to express. Josh, you're my best friend and my soulmate. I can't wait for forever together. Yes a million times over (sic)"
Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Karlie Kloss attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) Karlie Kloss preps for the Met Gala. Picture: Snapchat US model Karlie Kloss poses during the photocall before the Christian Dior's 2018-2019 Fall/Winter Haute Couture collection fashion show in Paris, on July 2, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS GUILLOTFRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images US model Karlie Kloss attends the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images Karlie Kloss and Carolina Herrera de Baez (Ian West/PA) Karlie Kloss (Ian West/PA) Models Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls attend the WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards at MOMA on November 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards) Karlie Kloss arrives before the Christian Dior women's 2018 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show in Paris, on September 26, 2017. / AFP PHOTO Model Karlie Kloss attends the WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards at MOMA on November 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards) / Facebook
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Whatsapp Karlie Kloss attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Karlie and Joshua have remained mostly private about their romance since they began dating in 2012, but the beauty previously revealed she was "definitely not planning on falling in love" with him and that she feels love is best when it is spontaneous as it is one of those things that you "can't anticipate or plan".
Even as the world economy watches with concern the ongoing trade war between the US and China, President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to withdraw from the World Trade Organization if it didn't shape up. Any such move by the US could significantly hit the global trading system, which the US played a major role in formulating.
Trump made the comment about the WTO in an interview with Bloomberg News. Trump has previously also blamed the WTO for what he perceives to be the unfair treatment of the US in global trade. In June, a news website, Axios, had reported that Trump had privately told his aides about wanting to withdraw from the WTO, which he reportedly said was designed by the rest of the world to hurt US interests.
In July, Trump told reporters at the White House, WTO has treated the US very badly and I hope they change their ways... And were not planning anything now, but if they dont treat us properly, we will be doing something. During his campaign for the presidency in 2016, Trump had described the WTO as a disaster.
However, Trump administration officials have been circumspect on the WTO issue. While Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin denied the reports of Trump privately telling aides about leaving the WTO, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters that talk about withdrawal from the organisation was "a little premature." However, Ross had also emphasised the need for reform at the WTO.
The statement on WTO is the latest example of Trump acting to modify trade agreements that he perceives to be unfair to US interests. In addition to the trade war with China, which has resulted in both nations announcing tariffs amounting to billions of dollars, Trump pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and is renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.
Trump had made protecting American jobs and revitalising US industries a buzzword of his presidential campaign.
(With agency inputs)
The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...
The government should cease politically motivated arrests and harassment of human rights activists and other actions aimed at stalling peaceful dissent, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International India said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The Maharashtra Police had on Tuesday arrested leftwing activists Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha, and raided the homes of several others as part of their probe into the 'Elgar Parishad' conclave in Bhima-Koregaon village near Pune on December 31 last year.
The conclave at Bhima-Koregaon had triggered violence between dalits and upper caste Peshwas.
Others whose premises were reportedly searched this week were Father Stan Swamy, Susan Abraham, Kranthi Tekula and Anand Teltumbde.
"The latest arrests of human rights activists show the government's widening assault on free speech to create an atmosphere of fear across India," Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, was quoted as saying in the statement.
"Officials are again targeting human rights defenders and those working with poor and marginalised communities just for doing their jobs," Ganguly said.
The activists have long worked to defend the rights of some of India's poorest and most marginalised communities, including dalits and AdivasisIndia's indigenous peoples. As poets, journalists, and advocates, they have been vocal in their criticism of government policies and therefore, have often been targets for the authorities, according to the statement.
"The police in India have repeatedly used counterterrorism laws against government critics and social activists, and often, they have targeted the same people by filing multiple cases against them," said Aakar Patel, executive director of Amnesty International India.
"The authorities continue to ignore Supreme Court directives to not conflate sympathy for concerns expressed by the Maoists, with criminal complicity in violence," Patel added.
In a development that will come as a relief to the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, son and political heir of party founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, was granted bail by a court in Delhi in connection with the IRCTC scam case.
Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejashwi were among 14 persons named as accused in a CBI case related to irregularities over a land deal for the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) during the time Lalu was Railways minister from 2004-2009. All the accused were granted bail and the court directed them to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
Lalu and his family are accused of receiving illegal favours in the form of land in Patna in exchange for giving maintenance contracts for two IRCTC hotels.
Lalu, who is already serving a prison sentence in multiple Fodder scam cases, surrendered before a CBI court in Ranchi on Thursday after his request for extension of parole was rejected.
The case against Tejashwi was perceived to be important as an order to arrest him would have hit the RJD's campaign plans for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
High drama, a plea in the Gujarat High Court and a Union minister speaking in favour of reservation for Patidars marked day seven of pro-quota stir leader Hardik Patel's indefinite hunger fast in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Patel, 25, has been demanding reservation in jobs and education for the Patidar community. He is also demanding loan waiver for farmers.
Talking to media persons in Ahmedabad, Union minister of state for social justice Ramdas Athawale said that he was in favour of Patidars getting reservation in a manner in which it does not affect the benefits given to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The MP of Republican Party of India, who is part of the NDA at the Centre, said that he had told Patel that if he wanted that Patidars to get reservation, he should stop supporting Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
The Union minister said that supporting Gandhi would make no sense and Patel should, instead, support Narendra Modi. Athawale said, Patel should go to the BJP, and if he wanted to hold discussion then I am ready to be a mediator.
At Patel's residence, several Congress leaders, including Arjun Modwadia, visited him on Friday. Modwadia asked the Patidar leader to continue his fight and at the same time also to take care of his health.
Saint S.P. Swami from Gadhada, located in Saurashtra, also visited Patel. The young leader got emotional when the swami tried to persuade him to drink water. Patel, who has given up water since Thursday, sought time to think over the suggestion.
Meanwhile, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, of which Patel is the convener, approached the Gujarat High Court, saying people were being stopped from reaching his residence and that the police were unnecessarily troubling them. The PAAS also alleged that the police are being misused.
In its representation, the Gujarat Government said that the police force has been deployed to maintain law and order situation and ensure that incidents like in the past are not repeated. The court asked the state government to give its representation in affidavit. Further hearing will take place on September 4.
US aerospace giant Boeing was awarded a contract on Thursday to develop a revolutionary unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the US Navy. Boeing received a contract worth $805 million to build four MQ-25A Stingray drones, which feature the use of stealth technology.
The MQ-25A drone will be deployed on US Navy aircraft carriers and will have a primary mission of aerial refuelling of fighters like the Super Hornet, F-35C and F-35B (operated by the US Marine Corps). The first MQ-25A is expected to enter service in 2024. The total US Navy requirement is for 72 such drones, with a total cost of around $13 billion.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson declared the contract announcement day was historic day for the US Navy, noting that the MQ-25A represented a dramatic shift in how war-fighting requirements were defined, given the integration of both manned fighters and UAVs.
Boeing competed with General Atomics and Lockheed Martin for the MQ-25A contract. The US Navy's carrier-based drone requirement has had a chequered history though it started nearly two decades ago. The US Navy's initial plan to have a drone capable of strike, reconnaissance and aerial refuelling was modified in 2016 to focus on the aerial refuelling role.
The MQ-25A drone is being designed to carry up to 7 tonnes of fuel to a distance of 500 miles (approximately 800km) from an aircraft carrier. While the MQ-25A's fuel capacity is less than 1/10 of that offered by larger land-based aerial refuelling systems like Boeing's own KC-46, the drone's ability to operate from aircraft carriers, stealthy design and the virtue of being unmanned give it significant advantages.
The Catholic Church in Australia has rejected laws forcing priests to report child abuse which are revealed during confessions. The church leaders said that they prefer to maintain the sanctity of confessions saying that revealing confessions made to priests would infringe on their religious liberties.
Last year, Australia completed a five-year government-appointed inquiry into child sex abuse in churches and other institutions, amid allegations worldwide that churches had protected paedophile priests by moving them from parish to parish. The inquiry heard that seven percent of Catholic priests working in Australia between 1950 and 2010 had been accused of child sex crimes and that nearly 1,100 people had filed child sexual assault claims against the Anglican Church over 35 years.
Laws where introduced in a state and a territory in Australia which made it a crime for priests to fail to report abuse heard in the confessional.
The Church said on Friday that it would accept 98 per cent of the recomendations made by the inquiry.
"The only recommendation we can't accept is removing the seal of confession," Sister Monica Cavanagh, president of Catholic Religious Australia said at a press conference.
Addressing reporters, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Mark Coleridge said the seal of confession was a non-negotiable element of our religious life and embodies an understanding of the believer and God.
This move by the Church is likely to cause more trouble for the institution. Earlier this week Pope Francis was accused by a top Vatican official of covering up a child sexual abuse incident. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano had demanded his resignation in a document which accused a long list of current and past Vatican and US Church officials of covering up the case of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who resigned last month in disgrace.
While in Ireland for the World meeting of families, the Pontiff spoke of his shame over the "appalling crimmes" committed in recent decades and called for forgiveness from those who had suffered.
A new book on the Rohingya crisis authored by Myanmar's army, shows a man standing over two bodies wielding a farming tool. Bengalis killed local ethnics brutally, reads the caption.
A combination of screenshots shows (top) an image taken from Getty Images depicting Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants, who were trying to flee Myanmar, after their boat was seized by MyanmarOs navy, near Yangon, in 2015. The same image (bottom) appears in the Myanmar armyOs recently published book on the Rohingya, flipped and converted to black-and-white, describing Bengalis entering Myanmar. Top: Getty Images, Bottom: Myanmar Politics and the Tatmadaw
The photo appears in a section of the book covering ethnic riots in Myanmar in the 1940s. The text says the image shows Buddhists murdered by Rohingya - members of a Muslim minority the book refers to as Bengalis to imply they are illegal immigrants.
But Reuters claims that the photograph was actually taken during Bangladeshs 1971 independence war, when hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis were killed by Pakistani troops.
The book was published in July by the army's department of public relations and psychological warfare. The image is one of three that appear in the book. Another image with caption saying that Bengalis intruded into the country after British Colonalisation occupied the lower part of Myanmar, is actually an award winning image of Rwandan Hutu refugees leaving Tansania.
A combination of screenshots shows (top) an image taken from the Pulitzer Prize website depicting the migration of Rwandan Hutu refugees in 1996 following violence in Rwanda. The same image (bottom) appears in the Myanmar armyOs recently published book on the Rohingya, converted to black-and-white, describing the people as Bengalis entering the country following the British colonial occupation of lower Myanmar. Top: Martha Rial/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/The Pulitzer Prizes Bottom: Myanmar Politics and the Tatmadaw
The 117-page Myanmar Politics and the Tatmadaw: Part I relates the armys narrative of August last year, when some 700,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine to Bangladesh, according to United Nations agencies, triggering reports of mass killings, rape, and arson. Tatmadaw is the official name of Myanmars military.
Much of the content is sourced to the militarys True News information unit, which since the start of the crisis has distributed news giving the armys perspective, mostly via Facebook.
A combination of screenshots shows (top) an image taken from Flickr depicting the bodies of Bengalis being retrieved following their massacre in Dhaka in 1971. The same image (bottom) as it appears in the Myanmar armyOs recently published book on the Rohingya describing it as the brutal killing of the local ethnic people by Bengalis in Myanmar. Top: Anwar Hossain/Flickr, Bottom: Myanmar Politics and the Tatmadaw
On Monday, Facebook banned the army chief and other military officials accused of using the platform to inflame ethnic and religious tensions. The same day, U.N investigators accused Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of overseeing a campaign with genocidal intent and recommended he and other senior officials be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.
The book also seeks to trace the history of the Rohingya - who regard themselves as native to western Myanmar - casting them as interlopers from Bangladesh.
UN's human rights experts have expressed alarm at the reports of mass detention of Uighurs in China and called for the release of those held on counter terrorism "pretext".
There were reports that about one million Muslim Uighurs in western Xinjiang region were held in re-education camps.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination cited estimates that from tens of thousands to upwards of a million Uighurs may be detained in the far western Xinjiang province.
Beijing has denied the allegations but admitted that some religious extremists were being held for re-education.
China blames Islamist militants and separatists for unrest in the region.
A review earlier this month by the UN committee said reports suggested that Beijng had "turned the Uighur autonomous region into something that resembles a massive internment camp".
China responded that Uighurs enjoyed full rights but Beijing made a rare admission that "those deceived by religious extremism... shall be assisted by resettlement and re-education".
Beijing denies detaining one million Uighurs
Xinjiang has seen intermittent violence - followed by crackdowns - for years.
At the entrance of the theatre where I would be watching Stree, its lead actor (Rajkummar Rao) indulges in harmless banter with curious bystanders, while also fulfilling selfie requests. Then, someone talks about his versatility and his courage to choose a horror film this time. He clarifies, it is a horror comedy. In an industry famous for making horror films that unintentionally turn funny, the deliberate effort to make a horror comedy is refreshing.
And the best part about the film is that it effortlessly pulls out comedy, especially when it makes fun of cliched notions of the genre, the appearance of ghosts and even on the often-used means of exorcism. Most of the jokes land, too. Thanks to some really well-written dialogues by Sumit Arora, and the story by Raj and DK (who previously stood out with their zombie comedy Go Goa Gone).
Stree, as the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie says, is based on some ridiculous phenomenon that happened in Chanderi, a village in central India where the story is based. The men in the film are under threat during a four-day festival celebrated annually in the village, by a female ghost, aptly named stree (woman). As the movie unfolds, the folklore is unravelled. A prostitute, many moons ago, was denied her conjugal rights by the narrow-mindedness that prevailed in the village. During the four days of celebration, she returns to avenge what was done to her. She picks up men from the village and strips them before taking them away. Many men in the village disappear through the days of festivities.
The only way to stop her is to paint the four magical words, O Stree Kal Aana (Oh lady, come tomorrow), with a concoction made of bat flesh, cow urine and crow eggs. The moment that sign is erased, the ghost is up to her job. It is amusing to have a spirit who not just reads but also obediently follows instructions. She also has a methodshe calls out the mans name three times, that means she is aware of whos who too, and only if the man turns and looks her in the eye, does she pick him up. Heres a ghost who is working on consent. And it is hilarious when the films lead, Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), addresses the peculiarity of the ghost haunting his village. Raos inimitable style (that keeps reminding you of his act in Bareilly Ki Barfi) makes it mostly funnier, occasionally over-the-top.
Vicky is Chanderis Manish Malhotra; his father (an in-form Atul Shrivastava) describes him as bhagwan ka darzi rupi avatar (gods incarnation as a tailor). He is hopelessly in love with an unnamed woman (an expressionless Shraddha Kapoor) who he sees only during the four days when the festivities/haunting are on. A village boy with a modern outlook isnt affected by the happenings in the village, neither does he buy into the whole story of the stree, till one of his closest friends, the nerdy and harmless Jana (a superlative Abhishek Banerjee) becomes the victim.
While Vicky is blinded by love, the third friend, Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana, who too is in form and comical) doubts the woman who has been seen by nobody but Vicky. He wonders if she could be Stree. Vicky only starts to believe it after the disappearance of Jana. The excellent Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra, a book store owner and a self-confessed expert on the issue, join the friends to rescue Jana and unravel the mystery of stree.
Tripathis comedy is well-timed and his flourish as an actor evident through the second half of the movie. Unfortunately, we get to see very little in the first half, which is also unnecessarily dominated by songs that serve no purpose in taking the story forward. It also, in turn, hampers the pace of the film.
The films strength is also in its camerawork thats sharp, and leads to some sincere jump scares. It begins eerily in a sleepy village with a long shot that takes you through the village. The background score is jarring and overdone occasionally, but director Amar Kaushik along with DOP Amalendu Chaudhary, have been successful in creating a setting that, when required, has the uncanniness of horror and swiftly moves to the chaos thats funny.
That apart, the film gives you many reasons throughout to believe that it is going to raise a point about the social structure mostly dominated by men, and women who are often ostracised. It makes you believe that by the end of the film, its going to draw a point on the subversive commentary on the status of women in the society. However, it seems a failed attempt, at least in being able to draw the point home, creating contradictory plot points. What it does is create 127 minutes of madness with some top-notch actors who you believe have had fun. Thats what you enjoy, too. And the fact that the comedy in the film is self-aware, making the experimentation with the less-explored genre in Hindi cinema a successful one.
Film: Stree
Director: Amar Kaushik
Starring: Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Shraddha Kapoor, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3/5
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National Bank of Canada engages in the provision of commercial banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, US Specialty Finance and International (USSF&I), and Other. The Personal and Commercial segment involves in banking, financing, and investing services offered to individuals and businesses as well as insurance operations. The Wealth Management segment focuses on the investment solutions, trust and lending services, and other wealth management solutions offered through internal and third-party distribution networks. The Financial Markets segment includes banking and investment banking services and financial solutions for large and mid-size corporations, public sector organizations, and institutional investors. The USSF&I segment comprises specialty finance expertise activities of subsidiary ABA Bank, which offers financial products and services to individuals and businesses; and activities of targeted investments in certain emerging markets. The Other segment encompasses treasury activities such as asset and liability management, liquidity management and funding operations, certain no
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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.
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SCHENECTADY A Mechanicville woman who was recently convicted of harassing the wife of a city patrolman she was having an extramarital affair with faces fresh allegations in Rensselaer County, according to her attorney.
"My understanding is that it is a harassment charge ... but it's from a different person," said Brian Mercy, who represented the defendant Kimberly Duncan in this week's non-jury trial before City Court Judge Teneka Frost.
Mercy did not have any other details about the new charge. A State Police spokesperson did not immediately return a call for comment on Friday.
In Schenectady, Frost considered the arguments for about 45 minutes Thursday before finding Duncan guilty of second-degree harassment, a violation. She was assessed a $250 fine plus $120 in court fees.
In April, Duncan was charged with stalking and obscenity, both misdemeanors, that allegedly took place between March 4 and April 16, according to court papers. Duncan was accused of sending "nude photographs depicting her breast and vaginal area with an obscene performance" to the cellphone of the wife of Schenectady patrolman Sean Clifford, 48.
The married father is the older brother of Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford.
The stalking charge was subsequently reduced to second-degree harassment, a violation, and an obscenity charge dropped.
Prosecutor Mike Nobles said Friday that that the evidence included the testimony from Sean Clifford's wife, cell phone messages and pictures from Duncan's cell phone, and the State Police interview of the defendant, who is married to a state trooper. Duncan did not take the stand.
Noble said that over the course of five to six hours on April 16, Duncan sent nearly 60 text messages to the victim, including sexually explicit photos of herself and insults directed at the victim.
"She was asked in her interview why she sent those and she (said) she wanted to make the victim feel insecure about herself," Nobles said.
He said main objective of the trial was to "get an order of protection for the victim and her immediate family, and allow her to move on from this defendant."
The full stay-away order of protection forbids Duncan from having any contact Sean Clifford and his family.
Duncan may appeal the verdict, Mercy said.
At trial, he argued that his client's messages were protected under the First Amendment.
He said that Duncan was responding to a request by the victim for proof of the affair, adding that the messages were part of "a protected communication and didn't violate this particular statute because this conversation was legitimate in nature and wasn't harassing in nature."
"Our argument was that this was a dialogue going back and forth and the (victim) never told her (Duncan) to stop," added Mercy.
Duncan who did not take the stand is slated to return to Schenectady City court Wednesday for a criminal contempt charge stemming from accusations she violated a temporary order of protection by visiting the police station when she was banned from the facility.
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The charge Duncan now faces in Rensselaer County appears to be unrelated to the communications at the heart of the Schenectady case.
Duncan has filed a notice of claim, a precursor to the lawsuit, against the city. In it, she contends that Eric Clifford called her husband's boss at the State Police to inform on her.
She accuses the chief of defamation of character in a notice that seeks $10 million.
In the handwritten document, Duncan wrote that Clifford "acted outside the scope of his employment, rich with defamation and abuse of power," when he called her husband's superiors to allege that Duncan was having an affair with Clifford's brother, a Schenectady K9 officer.
"He then filed an order of protection against me on behalf of himself and 5 other family members of his whom I've never met," she wrote.
Duncan said she suffered "damages and injuries" when she was removed from the police station April 19 and illegally imprisoned after attempting to file a complaint about officer misconduct. She said she initially went to the station to file a complaint against Sean Clifford's wife. Instead, she was accused of violating the order of protection.
She said she was held at the Schenectady County jail until she could post bail.
Duncan claims her arrest defamed her character, caused "tremendous stress in her personal life," and made it impossible for her to find a job or an apartment.
In response to the claim, city attorney Carl Falotico issued a statement dismissing the claim as groundless, saying the police chief "acted appropriately and professionally at all times during his involvement with this situation."
Falotico also noted that the police department asked the state troopers to handle the investigation to avoid a conflict of interest.
Camden, N.J.
Campbell Soup Co. plans to focus on its core snacks and soup business in North America and sell its international business and pay down debt.
The moves announced Thursday follow a review it began in May, when Campbell also announced the retirement of then-CEO Denise Morrison, as it faces changing food trends and potentially costly tariffs on aluminum and steel.
Interim CEO Keith McLoughlin also said the board is still open to evaluating other strategic options for the company.
The planned sales will leave Campbell Soup with brands like Pepperidge Farm and Snyder's of Hanover, which it acquired earlier this year to help move into a faster-growing business.
Campbell has been wrestling with declining soup and juice sales in a market crowded with competitors at the same time that many families are seeking foods they consider healthier and less processed. It had been trying to modernize by acquiring brands it said were more in line with changing tastes, such as Bolthouse Farms. But it has now put up that brand for sale as well as manufacturing operations in Indonesia and Malaysia and its business in Hong Kong and Japan.
The company also has faced headwinds due to recent changes in U.S. trade policy that increased costs. Earlier this year, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross famously held up a can of Campbell's soup in a CNBC interview to make the case that the Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs were "no big deal."
Campbell has said it expects steel and aluminum costs to rise, pushing its overall costs higher.
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The company's planned divestments are the latest shift in the reconfiguration of the U.S. food industry. As major food makers struggle to increase sales, they've come under pressure from investors to boost profits through cost cuts, mergers and acquisitions.
Camden, N.J.-based Campbell said it's working urgently to complete all the moves by next July. Assuming they are completed on schedule, the company expects fiscal 2019 earnings per share of $2.40 to $2.50 on an adjusted basis, down from $2.87 per share this year.
Fourth-quarter profit plunged 70 percent to $94 million, or 31 cents per share, as surging costs outpaced a revenue boost. Still, the results topped Wall Street expectations. Sales rose 33 percent to $2.22 billion, but fell short of forecasts.
Shares of the company slipped 1.4 percent to $39.42 in Thursday trading. The stock is down nearly 17 percent in the year to date.
Schenectady
The Alt, a Schenectady-based newsweekly launched in late 2016 in a bid to fill a Capital Region void left after the closure of the venerable Metroland, is shutting down, with its staff being retooled to create a magazine devoted solely to the arts.
Next week's publication on Wednesday will be the last. Launched in November 2016, the free paper was bankrolled with a $400,000 investment by the Schenectady-based Daily Gazette newspaper, Proctors in Schenectady and the Albany-based advertising and creative agency Overit.
According to a statement Friday from Proctor's CEO Philip Morris, the three-member Alt staff is being retained to launch a new magazine in November to be called The Collaborative.
Plans are for a 10,000-circulation regional monthly magazine "devoted solely to cultural and arts coverage," according to the statement. Copies will be mailed to "arts institution leaders and highly active and influential cultural visitors," and also distributed through more than 175 arts organizations and gathering places in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties.
The Proctors Collaborative, a new umbrella brand that includes Proctors, Capital Repertory Theatre and Universal Preservation Hall, as well as subsidiaries including Open Stage Media, was launched earlier this week.
Proctors Collaborative is solely publishing The Collaborative magazine. "It makes a lot of sense to narrow the coverage," said Jim Murphy, a spokesperson at the Proctors Collaborative. "There is tremendous opportunity if our journalistic efforts are more in synch with our regional mission to be a catalyst for excellence in education, sustainable economic development, and rich civic engagement through the arts."
Murphy has been named publisher of the new publication; he also remains in current duties as director of marketing and corporate relations at Proctors Collaborative.
The Collaborative staff is currently recruiting contributing editors who are experts locally in dance, fashion, film, food, music, theatre, visual arts and writing.
Gazette Publisher John DeAugustine said in a statement that the newpaper has "not had a direct management role in the Alt since shortly after its launch. This was by design to keep it completely separate from the Gazette editorially. "
"We fully support the decision to close the Alt brand and relaunch under the new Proctors brand. We believe The Alt team under Proctors organization is positioned well to be a resource in the arts space for this region," he said.
Initially, The Alt published once a week, but later reduced that to every other week. It has a staff of three, including Luke Stoddard Nathan, Editor David Howard King, and Katie Cusack, as well as several freelancers.
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The new magazine will "go deeper behind the scene and explore more deeply all things related to the creative economy," King said in the Proctor's statement. "This is a Capital Region magazine devoted to artists, arts and cultural organizations and arts patrons.
"The Alt struck a powerful chord within the community, was warmly received by its audience, and told stories that would have otherwise been untold," King said. "The Collaborative approach will be very much in that vein, albeit with a more targeted focus."
King was previously the state government editor for the Gotham Gazette and was previously at Metroland, which closed in early 2016 after some four decades.
The Alt paper sought to cover events including news in the Capital Region. It also includes an online calendar, which includes information about shows, gallery openings, concerts and other events.
"I feel extremely sad about this. I felt that we had done some great work," said Nathan, an editor and staff writer there. "We had a few scoops, and it felt like we were continuing to build an audience ... We made an honest effort with our scarce resources."
In November 2017, DeAugustine told the Times Union that the weekly paper was going to reduce both its its number of pages and the number of distribution points.
Initially dropped off at about 400 locations across the Capital Region, the paper most recently has been found at about 300 locations.
Rensselaer
Heading to New York City next week? Train service, which has been diverted this summer to Grand Central Terminal while track and bridge work was performed on the so-called Empire Connection, will return to Penn Station starting Monday.
The Lake Shore Limited, Train #48, departing Sunday night from Chicago will resume service to New York City's Penn Station on Monday. The Lake Shore had served only Boston during the detour, with downstate-bound passengers changing to local trains at the Albany-Rensselaer station.
Southbound trains from Toronto (Maple Leaf #64) and Montreal (Adirondack #68) also will begin using Penn Station on Monday. Other trains into New York City will use Grand Central Terminal on Monday, switching to Penn Station on Tuesday.
All services should be operating to and from Penn Station by Tuesday. Passengers can check train status on Amtrak's app or its website.
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Amtrak spent an estimated $45 million to $50 million on infrastructure improvements over the summer that included track work in Penn Station as well as rehabilitation of the tracks on the Empire Connection, the line used by upstate trains to reach Penn.
The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge along the Empire Connection route was removed from its piers and placed on a barge, where workers upgraded the mechanical and electrical systems. It was then lowered back in place.
"Kin," like its distant TV cousin "Stranger Things," mashes up a lot of genres into something that's familiar yet somehow different. It's a film that mixes action, science fiction, a road trip, family drama, and crime thriller into a creation that more or less resembles a movie.
Unlike "Stranger Things," though, the characters in "Kin" aren't very interesting or appealing, and the story's star attraction a lethal gun from a faraway world gives the movie the unseemly feel of an NRA-sponsored kids' fantasy. Making matters worse, there are more false acting notes here than from an elementary school band playing Beethoven's Fifth.
Directors Jonathan and Josh Baker get things off to a promising start, as disconnected teenager Eli (Myles Truitt) ransacks an abandoned Detroit building for valuable copper wire. The shell of a structure makes for a haunting space, both on a terrestrial and extraterrestrial level. There, Eli discovers the otherworldly gun, before he is chased off by strange beings that bear a striking resemblance to Darth Vader.
Naturally, Eli cannot resist having this laser-firing, wall-blasting gizmo, which we are led to believe would be No. 1 on any kid's holiday gift list. After improbably retrieving the weapon, Eli, of course, needs a reason to use it, so the writers conveniently introduce an older ex-con brother, Jimmy (Jack Reynor), who is just out of prison and ready to get the plot moving, thanks to his involvement with a group of nasty criminals.
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After Jimmy commits the first of many reprehensible acts, he, Eli and Eli's new toy are off and running toward California, with thugs and aliens (who want their gun back) in hot pursuit. Oddly, these complications don't manage to add much tension, and the implausible scenes start to build up not because we can't buy into the fantastical sci-fi conceit, but because of the ridiculous interactions between the characters.
When Eli and Jimmy supposedly bond and try to talk in-depth about their family situation, our eyes start to get sore from all their rolling. Also cringe-worthy is the appearance of a stripper (Zoe Kravitz) who inexplicably joins up with Eli and Jimmy after Eli wards off some seedy strip bar bosses with a flick of his special gun.
It's not that the actors in "Kin" are bad so much as they are stranded with inane lines not to mention actions that defy human logic. And the film does have a few interesting performances: Dennis Quaid, as the brothers' downtrodden but ethical father, breathes life into his small role. And an over-the-top James Franco gives the film a boost when he's on the screen, particularly during an amusing moment in a convenience store and an arresting scene where he leads the funeral of his brother.
COLONIE - The FBI will turn a former warehouse into a SWAT training facility that would also be used by town police.
The federal law enforcement agency will upgrade the vacant property at 12 Arrowhead Lane with special weapons and tactics training inside the former warehouse and build houses like police officers could encounter for on-the-ground practice. Because the project is dependent on federal funds, no time has been set for the start of construction.
COHOES The owner of the Harmony Mills complex that spurred the Spindle Citys transformation from a mill town to a residential center is planning to invest up to $21 million to upgrade 342 high-end apartments, Cohoes Industrial Development Agency officials said Thursday.
The Harmony Group has filed three applications for a five-year extension of its payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for projects involving three buildings approved nearly a decade ago by the IDA, officials said.
Ralph Signoracci, the IDA chairman and city director of operations, said Harmony is seeking to improve the amenities in the apartments to stay competitive in the marketplace.
"There is a lot of competition for high-end apartments in the city of Cohoes," said Mayor Shawn Morse, who also is the IDA executive director.
A public hearing on the three applications will be at 12 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.
Uri Kaufman of the Harmony Group has made judicious use of incentives to transform Harmony Mills at 100 North Mohawk St. along the Mohawk River from a deteriorating mill complex into a residential complex with stunning views of the Mohawk River and the Cohoes Falls. Its located on Route 787in the center of the Capital Region with easy access for commuters to reach Albany.
Harmony Mills was three massive buildings and five smaller ones, totaling 850,000 square feet. Built in the early to late 19th century, it was once one of the largest mills in the nation, spinning cotton in cloth helping to give Cohoes its Spindle City nickname.
Kaufman and a partner bought the complex for $1.7 million in 2000. Harmony Group has converted 399,702 square feet of mill space into residential units.
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Morse said the $21 million investment would be spread across the three buildings Harmony Mills Fallsview with 135 units and 161,319 square feet; Harmony Mills Riverview with 96 units and 111,400 square feet; and Harmony Mills West with 111 units and 126,983 square feet.
In addition to an extension of the PILOT agreements, Harmony Group also would be eligible for breaks on sales, use and mortgage taxes. The details of what the firm is seeking have not yet been filed with the IDA.
The continued investment in Harmony Mills, Morse said, will convince current residents to stay and attract new ones. Morse said the city expects its population will be higher in the 2020 Census due to apartment construction around the city.
Since 2010, the citys estimated population has grown to 16,865 residents in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Thats a 4.4 jump over the 2010 count of 16,167. Morse said additional growth before the April 1, 2020 count will help the city in sales tax income and in other revenues based on population.
COLONIE A husband is in custody after he walked into the Colonie beauty salon where his wife worked Thursday afternoon and started stabbing her, town police said.
A call came in shortly after 4:30 p.m. Thursday from an employee of the salon at 2066 Central Ave., reporting that a man was attacking a female employee with a knife, said Colonie police Lt. Robert Winn.
While employees attempted to intervene, others ran outside and flagged down passersby for help, he said. Two men in separate cars pulled over and ran into the salon and disarmed and detained the man, Winn said, who had slashed himself in the neck.
The woman, a 49-year-old from Schenectady, was transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital with serious stab wounds to the abdomen and arms.
"She was in surgery last we heard," said Winn at 7:30 p.m.
The man, whose identity will be released once he is formally charged, was transported to Albany Med as well with a superficial wound to his neck, Winn said.
A weapon was recovered from the scene, he added.
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The incident was under investigation Thursday night. It's unclear whether drugs or alcohol were involved.
Colonie police released the following statement Thursday night:
"During the attack, the salon was full of patrons and employees. They made efforts to summon help and stop the attack and they were also able to get the attention of two male passerbys, who both stopped and were able to stop the attack, disarm the suspect, detain him until police arrived and render medical aid to the victim. All of their efforts prevented this from being a more serious or fatal attack and they have our utmost respect and gratitude for their heroic actions."
TROY A female attorney who accused a former state Supreme Court law clerk of terrorizing her and two other women during an August 2016 settlement conference was never interviewed by two judges who investigated and later dismissed the allegations.
Details of the investigation by the state Office of Court Administration are outlined in a lawsuit that the female attorney, Melody A. Mackenzie, filed in Rensselaer County against the former law clerk, Ted M. Wilson, who is now a Family Court judge in Warren County.
The incident unfolded when Wilson, then a law clerk for state Supreme Court Justice Stan L. Pritzker in Washington County, allegedly became enraged and physically threatening as he tried to convince Mackenzie to settle a divorce case.
Mackenzie, who was accompanied by her female client and also a female colleague who is an attorney, accused Wilson of becoming enraged when they declined to accept a settlement offer by the client's husband. Mackenzie alleged Wilson briefly terrorized the three women during the closed-door meeting, and then ordered them not to leave the conference room that was adjacent to the judge's chambers.
The Office of Court Administration later brushed off the allegations.
Two months ago, state Supreme Court Justice Patrick J. McGrath, in a ruling that puts the case on track for a trial, upheld a lawsuit filed in January by Mackenzie, whose claims against Wilson include defamation, assault and false imprisonment.
The filings in the lawsuit detail a one-sided investigation in which OCA officials did not ask their inspector general's office to examine the allegations and instead referred the case to Vito C. Caruso, administrative judge for the Fourth Judicial District.
Caruso, according to the court filings, discussed the matter with Pritzker, Wilson's supervisor at the time, who said he did not believe Mackenzie or the two women who witnessed the incident. Pritzker said he stood by his longtime law clerk. After conferring with the justice, Caruso closed the investigation without taking disciplinary action, according to court records.
Caruso and Wilson said they are not able to comment on the case because of the pending lawsuit. Pritzker could not be reached for comment.
In October 2016, Caruso told The Post-Star of Glens Falls that he was concerned Mackenzie's allegations may have been fueled by politics, because Wilson was in the midst of a contested race for Family Court judge. Thats one of the things that concerns me. Is it a campaign thing or a real thing? Caruso told the newspaper.
In that same article, Pritzker also defended his then-law clerk, telling The Post-Star: Hes been in thousands of negotiations and Ive never heard anything remotely like this. Nothing ever. ... Whats been described here is incredibly out of character.
Mackenzie had also filed a complaint with Janet DiFiore, chief judge of the state Court of Appeals.
She accused Wilson of becoming so enraged that her client ducked and covered her head at one point because she thought he was going to strike at them. Mackenzie said that Wilson called her "a horrible attorney" and said, "I can't believe people hire you. ... You are impossible."
In her lawsuit, Mackenzie said that, in response to her formal complaint, an OCA official later told her "there was nothing the Office of Court Administration was able to do" because Wilson "served at the pleasure of Judge Pritzker."
Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for OCA, said it "is within the discretion of the district administrative judge as to how an employee complaint is handled. It can be referred to our inspector general or investigated on the local level, as was the Mackenzie/Wilson matter."
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Chalfen said that OCA's inspector general's office, which has recently come under fire for its handling of harassment complaints, is unable to provide data on how many cases it handles or the number that end with discipline.
Two weeks ago, the leaders of two unions representing state court officers urged Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to order an independent investigation into allegations that OCA had buried a case in which a female law clerk accused a Manhattan judge of sexual harassment.
The union leaders, Pat Cullen, president of the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association, and Dennis Quirk, president of the New York State Court Officers Association, characterized OCA's inspector general's office as a secretive unit they said covers up controversial cases and has few, if any, investigators with law enforcement experience.
Their attack on OCA's inspector general's office was in response to a federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court last month by Alexis Marquez, an attorney who said she was demoted and later fired from her law clerk's job after accusing acting Supreme Court Justice Douglas Hoffman of harassment. The suit accused New York's top judicial officials of ignoring her complaints and condoning "a widespread culture of silence and retaliation."
The 118-page complaint filed by Marquez detailed alleged civil rights violations, including retaliation and harassment, against Hoffman and 16 other officials, including the state's chief administrative judge, Lawrence K. Marks, and DiFiore. OCA's spokesman has described the lawsuit as frivolous.
Mackenzie, who filed her lawsuit against Wilson in state Supreme Court in Rensselaer County, said the behavior by the former law clerk was "highly inappropriate."
"In the lawsuit we make it clear and apparently OCA doesnt dispute this fact that none of the three women who were affected by now-Judge Wilsons behavior were even interviewed in connection with the OCA investigation in an effort to confirm what happened," she said.
"The time has come for everyone to acknowledge that women whether attorneys, litigants, or court employees are entitled to be treated appropriately and as equals in the courthouse and not be subjected to abusive conduct by anyone, including judges and their law clerks," Mackenzie said. "And that when bad things happen there will be a fair attempt to investigate, and that bad behavior will not be rewarded or covered up."
ALBANY - The Hudson Valley is shaping up to be a key battleground in the national fight for control of the House of Representatives in November.
Freshman Rep. John Faso, a Kinderhook Republican, leads his Democratic challenger Antonio Delgado by 45 to 40 percent among likely voters in a Siena Research Institute poll released Thursday night. The lead is within the margin of error 4.8 percent, signaling a potentially tight race.
Read the entire poll on the Capitol Confidential blog.
Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said the five-point lead indicates Faso has "a real race on his hands."
The poll did not factor in Green Party candidate Steve Greenfield.
The 19th Congressional District stretches from the Capital Region into the Hudson Valley and includes all of Columbia, Greene and Schoharie counties, and parts of Montgomery and Rensselaer counties. It also comprises Sullivan, Delaware and Otsego counties and part of Broome County.
Favorable opinions of Faso are split in the district, with the remaining 24 percent remaining neutral. Nearly half of the voters polled don't have an opinion about Delgado, but his favorable rating is 12 percentage points higher than his unfavorable rating.
While Democrats have largely made up their decision about the race, 14 percent of Republicans say they're undecided about their Election Day decision. Faso leads among independent voters by six percentage points.
There is a stark gender divide, with a plurality of women backing Delgado, and Faso winning support of men by 19 percentage points.
Delgado's strength is in the Democratic stronghold of Dutchess and Ulster counties, where the poll results indicate he wins 49 percent. Faso is winning a majority of the voters' support in the Southern Tier and Capital Region.
The district is relatively split on the job President Donald Trump is doing and narrowly prefers having Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives.
Earlier this month, the race was deemed a "toss up" by separate analysis from CQ Roll Call and FiveThirtyEight.
Delgado, a Schenectady-born attorney who lives in Dutchess County, secured the Democratic nomination after winning a seven-candidate primary in June with 22 percent of the vote. He is also expected to appear on the Working Families and Women's Equality lines.
Faso, the 2006 GOP gubernatorial nominee, is expected to appear on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines.
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Discussion around the race this summer has been dominated by advertisements from an outside super PAC supporting Faso, which has highlighted Delgado's past lyrics as a rapper to argue that he's out of touch with the district. Faso has argued the lyrics are fair game and raise important questions, but the attack has drawn accusations of race divisiveness, as Delgado is black and a vast majority of the district is white.
Delgado's campaign has repeatedly focused on Faso's vote last year to repeal the federal Affordable Care Act or Obamacare by releasing a series of emotional advertisements featuring district residents.
Democrats have longingly eyed the district since its boundaries were drawn in 2012, and it was represented by freshman Republican Chris Gibson. They failed twice to unseat him, including a disastrous 2014 campaign when Gibson won almost 65 percent of the vote.
Two years later, Faso defeated Democrat Zephyr Teachout, capturing 54 to 46 percent of the vote.
The partisan makeup of the district has shifted slightly since being shaped six years ago, when Democrats accounted for 31 percent and Republicans 33 percent. The district is now 32.4 percent Democratic to 31.7 percent Republican, with Independence Party and unaffiliated voters accounting for nearly 33 percent.
David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87
SARATOGA SPRINGS U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was in Saratoga Springs Wednesday for a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, NY-22, the Times Union has learned.
The Louisiana Republican addressed Stefanik supporters at the Gideon Putnam Hotel and participated in a question-and-answer session for about an hour before departing, according to Saratoga County Republican Committee Chairman Carl Zeilman, who welcomed Scalise to Saratoga.
"It was a good mix of familiar faces from the farming community, to people who work in manufacturing, to people who work in construction," Zeilman said of the event's attendees.
Scalise discussed some of the goings-on in Washington, D.C., including how congressional Republicans intend to address regulations that are placed on the farming community, Zeilman said.
Entry to the fundraiser cost $150 a plate. Details of the event were kept quiet to avoid protesters, according to one attendee.
"Fundraisers are closed press, thanks," Stefanik spokesman Lenny Alcivar said, when asked about the fundraiser.
Scalise's visit marks the second time Stefanik has hosted a high-profile guest from Washington this month. In early August, President Donald J. Trump accepted an invitation from the congresswoman to meet with troops at Fort Drum U.S. Army Base. His subsequent visit to a fundraiser in Utica sparked protests and triggered a war of words between the president and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
While the 21rst Congressional District is safely Republican, some see it as a swing district, because the seat was briefly held by Democrat Bill Owens between 2013 and 2015. Stefanik is being challenged by Democrat Tedra Cobb in September's general election.
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Zeilman said that visits from prominent Republicans to the region are evidence of Stefanik's hard work on behalf of the district and its constituents.
"She is very aggressive in working for her constituency and I think this was a good opportunity for the majority whip to stop by and support her before heading out to support others in Congress," Zeilman said.
Scalise, explaining his support for the congresswoman, called Stefanik "a true leader," helping Republicans pass an agenda leading to "higher wages for workers, record low unemployment, a booming economy, restored American leadership around the world, a rebuilding of our military, and safety and security here at home."
"If Nancy Pelosi is successful in defeating members like Elise, Pelosi has pledged to move a radical agenda that includes reversing tax cuts and abolishing the ICE agents who are keeping our communities safe," Scalise said, in response to a query from the Times Union.
Saratoga Springs
There are 12 2-year-old fillies signed up to run in Saturday's Spinaway, the final graded stakes race for the juvenile ladies at Saratoga Race Course. One of them will get more looks than the others. That's because she is the sister of one of the most famous race horses of our time.
Make that half sister. Her famous half brother is American Pharoah, who became a household name when he won the Triple Crown in 2015, becoming the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
Her name is Chasing Yesterday.
She is trained by Bob Baffert, who also trained American Pharoah. She will be ridden in the Spinaway by Mike Smith, who didn't ride Pharoah, but did win a Triple Crown of his own this spring when he was on Justify, who also was trained by Baffert.
"She doesn't look anything like him at all," Baffert said Thursday by cellphone from California. "But she has the same sweet disposition Pharoah has. She likes attention and she is pretty spoiled."
And, if first impressions are to be believed, she can run like her bro. Chasing Yesterday won her debut by 41/4 lengths at Delmar on July 28 running the 51/2 furlongs in 1:04.44.
"She has a beautiful way of going, a long, beautiful stride," Smith said by cellphone Thursday from California. "She did everything just fantastic in the first race. She loaded into the gate well, she came out of the gate really well and then kind of waited for me to call on her. Then she really opened up her stride."
Smith will be here to ride; Baffert will stay at Del Mar to saddle horses there.
The third part of the team is owner Jane Lyon. She will be here. She arrived home to her Summer Equine Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, on Thursday after a trip to Africa. She would not miss the trip to Saratoga to see her baby run.
"My heart rides with that filly," Lyon said Thursday from her home in Kentucky. "She is very special to me. Sometimes, it scares me how special it is."
Lyon and her husband, Frank, bought the thoroughbred breeding farm in 1995. She said it had always been her dream to own a farm with horses and her husband made it come true.
Their biggest moment on the breeding end came when American Pharoah was born and the mare was named Littleprincessemma. Pharoah's sire was Pioneerof the Nile.
Chasing Yesterday's mother is also Littleprincessemma; her sire is Tapit.
While American Pharoah was becoming famous during the spring of 2015, Jane Lyon and her husband felt they were a part of it. After Pharoah won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic, Frank Lyon passed away. He had been sick.
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When Jane Lyon hoped and prayed for some good news, she asked her husband's doctor, a friend, to provide some.
"She told me that we are just chasing yesterdays now," Jane Lyon said.
Littleprincessemma was carrying the Tapit foal when Frank Lyons died and when the little filly was born, she had her name.
"I named her in honor of him," she said.
And now, here is Chasing Yesterday, running in the shadow of her famous sibling.
"I know this filly means a lot to Jane," Baffert said. "She is excited to see her run and so are we."
This is only the second career start for Chasing Yesterday, who drew a healthy media contingent when she debuted in California. Expect more of the same when she runs on the final Saturday of the Spa meet.
"I think a lot of people think she won't be anything like her brother and that is probably true," Lyon said. "But she is special in her own right. I have spoiled her since the day she was born. She is very sweet and I hope she can run like (American Pharoah)."
twilkin@timesunion.com 518-454-5415 @tjwilkin
Saratoga Springs
Chad Brown may have found an answer to why his prized 3-year-old Good Magic didn't run at all in last Saturday's Travers Stakes.
The horse was found to be sick the day after he ran ninth in the 10-horse field as the 2-1 favorite.
Brown said Good Magic will be shipped to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, for a checkup next week.
"He's still here," Brown said outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track on Thursday morning. "He had a high white (blood cell) count, so we've been treating him with antibiotics. The horse looks better."
Following his checkup, Good Magic is expected to get some time off at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington. Brown said he would not speculate on what the colt's next start could be until after he is checked out. Stonestreet Stables, along with e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, owns Good Magic.
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Good Magic, last year's Juvenile champion, has started six times this year, the past four being Grade I races. He won the Haskell at Monmouth on July 28 after a Triple Crown campaign that saw him finish second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness.
Gronkowski, Brown's other Travers horse, finished eighth. Gronkowski, named for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, has already shipped back to Belmont and will train up to the Grade I $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 29.
Brown said Gronkowski did not handle the Saratoga track in the Travers.
Three of the county's five TDs came out against the Irish Water proposal to pump water from just below Lough Derg along a 170km pipe to the Great Dublin Area at a meeting in Nenagh Arts Centre.
The rally against the Irish Water proposal to bring 330 million litres of water daily to Dublin was organised by the River Shannon Protection Alliance, Kennedy Analysis and Fight the Pipe.
I am supporting you to make sure this monstrosity won't go ahead, declared Deputy Seamus Healy. Irish Water is not fit for purpose and should be abolished.
Deputy Healy pointed out that 1,800kms of pipe had been refitted in London and said the same should have been done in Dublin during the LUAS works.
Deputy Mattie McGrath said it was folly to spend money and put water into leaking pipes.
Deputy Jackie Cahill was not present but a spokesperson, Pat Flannery, said he was supporting the campaign.
Cllr Phyll Bugler said her area in Ballina would be affected from the tourism and environmental aspects of the plan, and it was be a threat to fish life.
Cllr Joe Hannigan, Cllr John Carroll, Cllr Ger Darcy and Cllr Michael O'Meara were also at the meeting.
Following the meeting, Cllr Seamus Morris, who acted as MC, issued a statement in which he said the lack of any Tipperary County Council interest in the meeting showed him that the council wanted to go through the process of the greatest transfer of natural resources from the Shannon #HiddenHeartlands region to another at huge economic cost to the people of Tipperary with blinkers on. He also said he had asked consultants RPS, who act for the council, to meet those opposed to the pipe but had been told it was not part of their remit.
The Alzheimer Society of Irelands (ASI) Mobile Information Service will be hitting Cork, Kerry and Tipperary this September to bring much-needed support and information to people living with dementia and their carers during World Alzheimers Month 2018.
The service will be at the following locations in the coming week:
Bon Secours Hospital, Tralee on Tuesday, 4th September (11.00am-4.00pm) with ASI Dementia Advisers Amy Murphy and Vanessa Bradbury;
Mallow Primary Health Centre, Co Cork, Wednesday 5th September (2.00pm-5.00pm) with ASI Dementia Advisers Amy Murphy and Vanessa Bradbury;
Cashel Library, Cashel, Co Tipperary, Thursday, 6th September (11.00am-3.00pm) with Dementia Adviser Amy Murphy;
Bantry Market, Bantry, Co Cork, Friday, 7th September (9.30am-1.30pm) with Dementia Adviser Vanessa Bradbury;
West Cork Food Festival, Skibbereen, Co Cork on Saturday, 8th September (10.00am-2.00pm) with Dementia Adviser Vanessa Bradbury.
The service, which was launched in 2016, is run by trained staff and volunteers and travels to the heart of Irish communities to create a unique opportunity to provide information and support to people with dementia and their families, in their local communities.
The service was made possible thanks to funds raised by the Peggy Mangan Foundation, set up by the family of the late 67-year-old from Terenure following her tragic death in 2014.
The ASIs experienced Dementia Advisers will be accompanying the information service to give advice and support about memory loss, how a diagnosis is made, managing day to day with dementia as well as support and services available for people with dementia and their families.
The Dementia Advisers work with people with dementia and their families and carers to provide a highly responsive and individualised information and signposting service.
World Alzheimers Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about a health issue that will affect more and more people as the years pass, while encouraging crucial efforts to support those already affected by dementia around the world. World Alzheimers Day is held on Friday, September 21st.
The campaign, which will carry the hashtag #Every3Seconds, highlights the fact that dementia is the global health and social challenge of our time with more than 50 million people currently living with dementia worldwide and the figure is predicted to increase by 10 million in 2018.
The ASI National Information & Advice Services Manager, Samantha Taylor said: Dementia services can be patchy and uncoordinated and so often families feel alone after receiving this challenging diagnosis and dont know where to turn. Almost 3,000 people have contacted our national helpline to date this year looking for information and support, and provide new opportunities for face-to-face support in local areas. Our information service aims to bring our experienced staff and volunteers to towns and villages up and down the country to offer support, expertise and signposting to relevant services.
So far this year the Mobile Information Service has visited Wicklow, Louth and Dublin to name but a few. We are delighted to now bring the service to Cork, Kerry and Tipperary in the coming week and we have more dates in the pipeline for the rest of the year. If you would like this service to visit your local community, then please get in touch with our National Helpline team on 1800 341 341. This service will be travelling throughout Ireland and we want to have a presence in towns, villages and cities to raise awareness about dementia and to provide vital information to people who are affected by Alzheimers and dementia.
Members of the public can find out more information about bringing the service to their local area by contacting our Alzheimer National Helpline on 1800 341 341 or helpline@alzheimer.ie
Sinn Fein President, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald has said that the divisions within the party in County Tipperary are now in the past and there is a real determination to work hard to win a seat for the party in the constituency.
On a whirlwind tour of the county this week, Deputy McDonald visited Clonmel, Cahir, Tipperary, Thurles and Nenagh with local public representatives. And, she visited a number of groups, organisations and workers in her travels before speaking to The Tipperary Star on a range of issues including headline matters such as healthcare and housing.
In Ciara McCormack we have an outstanding candidate and somebody who is regarded as a very formidable and capable lady. She has tremendous energy and drive and has the ability to put Tipperary on the map as a Sinn Fein TD in Dail Eireann, Deputy McDonald said.
Ciara McCormack was selected by the party at the Selection Convention amid much controversy as HQ had dictated that it would be a female only contest. The move created a big rift in the party in Tipperary, but Deputy McDonald swept away suggestions that residues of the spat remain.
I am very proud to say that as a political party we were prepared to take a stand to get some sort of gender balance in Irish political life and in our party. That will not happen by accident and Sinn Fein activists have shown great maturity, understanding and generosity of spirit in taking on this kind of approach. In Tipperary, the party has come in four square behind Ciara McCormack and are working off a united front as we bid to get her elected to Dail Eireann. We are giving the people of the constituency a real meaningful choice and we are putting ourselves forward as a dynamic party offering something different to what we have been used to from others. We are coming forward with pragmatic solutions to our problems and with very decent proposals for the future, she said.
Deputy Mary Lou McDonald in Thurles with Cllr David Doran who said "It was my privilege to welcome our party president Mary Lou McDonald to Thurles this evening during her tour of the constituency and I took the opportunity to raise many issues affecting the constituency with her re Lack of Industry, Traffic congestion, the need for a link/ring road for Thurles our Health service, housing and more I also impressed on her the absolute neglect of Thurles and the surrounding district where the need for a major jobs boost is concerned and obviously this can only be remedied if we were to be in Government after the next General election but our Party leader is in no doubt of the issues affecting our Constituency and its obvious to most that previous Governments and Tds have failed our County and it really is time for change.
Speaking of Tipperary as being a very diverse county, Deputy McDonald, whose mother hails form the Glen of Aherlow, did not rule out a return of local government in the form of Town Councils, of sorts, into the future.
We opposed the abolition of Town Councils because we felt that they gave a sense of ownership to the community in terms of real democracy and in terms of planning the locality. We are now entering a scenario in Ireland, post Brexit, where all our policies, social, economic democratic are back on the table again. In truth, we simply cannot be sure what way Brexit will go but we do know that Ireland will be affected. We will have to respond to that and there may be a referendum on partition, which will open a whole debate on governance both north and south - just how are we going to govern the country, she asked.
Admitting that there is still a very strong urban/rural divide in the country, Mary Lou is looking forward to returning to Tipperary for the commemorations of the commencement of the War of Independence and all the other commemorations which will be underway soon. And, she added that there may well be a new Dail before the commemoration next year of the First Dail.
The wider community in Littleton are preparing to come together and raise a mug of tea in aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association this Saturday.
The tea party fundraiser is organised by Margaret Delaney whose husband John was diagnosed with MND eight years ago.
John was always active throughout his life. He worked in the building of the briquette factory and with Tipperary County Council. Prior to his diagnosis he was never in hospital a day in his life, Margaret tells the Tipperary Star.
There are currently over 360 people living with MND in Ireland and fundraising events, such as Margarets Coffee Morning, provide over 80 percent of funding for services for patients and their families living with the disease.
People have been so good in helping out with the organising and the creamery donated milk for the teas. It all helps, says Margaret who will also have plenty of hands on help from her 20 grandchildren on the day.
We've a great raffle organised and we hope the locals come out on the day and show their support. We've raised 300 already ahead of the main event on Saturday so we hope that's a sign of what's to come, she says.
Drink Tea for MND Littleton will take place on Saturday 1st September at in the Muntir na Tire hall, Littleton from 10am until 2.30pm. All are welcome to attend.
A special raffle, featuring a host of goodies sponsored by local businesses, will also take place on the morning.
[August 30, 2018] Mars Finance Explores the Future of Blockchain Technology with Founder Fred Wang and Tech Pioneers Keith Teare, Reese Jones, and Blockchain's Brightest Stars
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Finance, the creator of one of China's largest blockchain and cryptocurrency news networks, hosted its first US-based conference in Silicon Valley California yesterday, the Mars Blockchain Summit, co-hosted by F50, bringing together the top talent from China and around the world in the first global Blockchain leadership dialogue between China and the US. The goal was to expose many of China's top blockchain projects, developers, and thought leaders to the US market and US investors, and to promote collaboration between projects and leaders in both markets. The award-winning ex-Reuters Financial news reporter and global TV personality Vivi Lin presided as Master of Ceremonies over the event for the international audience. The conference was live-cast in Chinese and English languages. Fred Wang, the founder of Mars Finance and host of the popular Chinese blockchain interview series "10 Questions with Fred Wang" opened the event with a discussion on the future of blockchain development, the new vocabulary in China around "Blockchain+" companies, and with a call to service for his organization and its expansion into 3 major areas: "Platform, Community, and Ecology" with Consensus Labs' blockchain incubator, as well as Mars Training Camp, community events, and the blockchain ecosystem as a whole where he promised to "actively join Blockchain experts to facilitate more communication" in a collaborative effort to promote blockchain technology growth globally. Talks at the conference included discussions concerning the future development and growth of Blockchain technology. Reese Jones, of Singularity University, compared the evolution of blockchain tech to the growth and evolution of the human genome, as a way for information to be carried, to flow, and also to self-replicate, noting that the Human Genome carries in it about 1.5GB of information, while the current Bitcoin Blockchain carries over 150GB of information. He concluded hat there will most likely be many species of blockchains in use when the industry matures. Andrew Gu of Digital Horizon Venture Capital (DHVC) addressed the importance of value creation and blockchain's mathematical foundations in moving the industry closer towards a future where everything and everyone can be verified as true. Peter Vessenes, founder of New Alchemy, one of the first organizations to help other blockchain projects tokenize, warned the attendees that though the market could heat up far more than it has to this point, there are many pitfalls to avoid if investing. Doa Yuan, Director of the Zhongguancun Blockchain Alliance, and Yifeng Mao, Founder of Goldpebble Research, discussed the Economy model of Blockchain. Former White House Advisor Franklin Urteaga discussed the similarities of gathering local, state, and federal government support for blockchain technology. Fred Wang also hosted a fireside chat with Keith Teare, Founding Shareholder of TechCrunch, in which Keith shared how TechCrunch accidentally became the vehicle through which the Tech World gathers and collaborates and highlighting Mars' efforts to do the same for the Blockchain community.
Panels were also held to collaboratively discuss important industry topics including public chain development, investment, and collaboration. Highlights included Marshal Webb of Path Network describing his work as a hacker and then as a security expert, and how his team was able to build a clearer measurement of Net Neutrality through data collected by their mobile app. Hua Chen showed off the new CoinXP decentralized exchange model. Innovative projects were discussed on the panels including Dfinity, Celer Network, Ultrain, Quarkchain, PENTA, Oasis Labs, Bubi Network, DXchain, Ankr, Origo Network, AnChain.ai, ApolloX, BeeToken, ContentBox, HBUS, ExTrade, Bgogo, and OkCoin. Investment panels included experts from DHVC, Crypto Capital, BlockVC, Silverblock Capital, Lex-Box Capital, Purple Sky Capital, Fintech4Good, Huobi Academy, JRR Crypto, Bullpen Capital, DFund, Forge Lab, Node Capital, and Mars Finance's own Consensus Lab. The SV Roadshow included Bay Angels, RedBank Capital, Aqua Fund, HongChang Capital, Spark Capital, CrunchFund, LD Capital, Sharp Eye Capital, NewStyle Capital, GBiB, Ledger Capital, NewDo Ventures, DGF Capital, OnFund, 8 Decimal Capital and US Angels.
"By bringing people together in the blockchain ecosystem from both China and the world, we are creating the perfect platform for an exchange of visions, technology, and capital, which is so timely during this crypto winter," said the event host, Vivi Lin. Fred Wang, the creator of the conference and Founder of Mars Finance, said, "We want to be known for one word: 'Service'. We want to serve the blockchain industry and use the attitude of 'being in service' to show our true desire to help inspire collaboration and growth in the industry. The future of Blockchain is the future for all of us." More conferences are being planned in the future. For more information on the Summit, visit MarsFinance.io For more information on Mars Finance, visit Huoxing24.com For Press email, Ryan@BlockchainPR.io View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mars-finance-explores-the-future-of-blockchain-technology-with-founder-fred-wang-and-tech-pioneers-keith-teare-reese-jones-and-blockchains-brightest-stars-300705094.html SOURCE F50
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[August 30, 2018] IOOGO to Launch Tax-Simplifying App in December
DALLAS, Aug. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This December, IOOGO Inc. is launching a mobile and web app that is designed to make doing taxes simpler than it's ever been before. The team at IOOGO brings more than four decades of collective experience in software design, accounting, and tax preparation to the table. That experience has taught them that many existing tax preparation programs are over-priced, frustrating, and tedious. "It's frustrating to start your tax return for free, only to be inundated with a suggested upgrade at every turn, or worse, forced into an upgrade after spending 20 minutes inputting your information," said co-founder and COO Kristy Campbell. "If you are tired of being punished with upgrades when you're doing all of the work, say goodbye to upgrades and hello to IOOGO." IOOGO's tax preparation app takes the required upgrades out of the equationalong with all of the other worst elements of the tax prep business. The interface is as simple and easy to understand. As long as the user has all of their information in hand, they can file most tax returns in as little time as 10 minutes. The IOOGO business model also allows the company to keep the app affordable and accessible to everybody. But don't people need to go to a professional to handle their taxes? Not so, experts say. "H&R Block and Intuit want to make it difficult for you to file on your own," law professors Joseph Bankman, Daniel Hemel, and Dennis Ventry wrote in a 2018 article for Politico. "The anti-tax activists think that if taxpaying is too easy, voters will be less likely to resist the federal government's growth. Both want to make it as painful as possible for you to do your taxes yourself."
The qualifications to be a tax preparer are simple; anyone with a Social Security number can obtain the Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) required to advertise your services as a tax preparer. This means that it can be hard to tell how qualified a tax preparer really is. Even the Free File service that many taxpayers choose to access through the IRS' website is difficult and vexing to use, according to many observers.
"Only 3 percent of taxpayers use Free File in any given year," Ventry wrote in a recent article for The Hill. "Of that fraction, less than half use Free File the next year, indicating user dissatisfaction, confusion over inconsistent offerings (eligibility criteria varies based on income, age, and state residence) and the common practice among FFA companies to push Free File users toward paid products." IOOGO offers a solution. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a service someone could do themselves in 10 minutes, or puzzling their way through outdated software, they can download the mobile app and make the tax preparation process as easy as filling out a job application. "Not only will we simplify tax preparation, but we are doing it in a way that fully leverages technology," said IOOGO co-founder and CEO Josh Alballero. "Our low-cost, transparent pricing will make you at least want to try our application, and at the end of the day, you will see that tax preparation is truly simple." As part of its mission, Alballero said that IOOGO is working to raise $850,000 from different sources to help make its app even more valuable for its users. About IOOGO, Inc. IOOGO Inc. is a software development company whose team has extensive experience in accounting, tax preparation, software design, and consumer retail. They are dedicated to providing consumers with the smart, up-to-date solutions they are looking for. They are based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Contact
Josh Alballero
3131 McKinney Ave, Ste 600
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 643-6117
josh@ioogo.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ioogo-to-launch-tax-simplifying-app-in-december-300705182.html SOURCE IOOGO
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[August 30, 2018] Maison de ANAIS Taps Into the China Womenswear Market with "ANAIS" and "greygrei" Releasing on VIP.com in Mid-September
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Targeting the womenswear market in their late 20's to late 30's, Seok Hyun Jung and Jeong Ho Lee are ready to release their new clothing brands 'ANAIS' and 'greygrei' into the Chinese market under their Korean young-casual clothing company, Maison de ANAIS Co., Ltd. Early this year, Maison de ANAIS took part in the largest design exhibition in Northern Europe -- FORMEX -- which was held in Stockholm, Sweden. The company managed to successfully launch its products into the North European fashion industry while drawing high hopes from local fashion industry representatives and buyers. The brand tested the waters within the Chinese industry in July, 2018 by taking part in the Shandon Korean Product Exhibition (143 companies, 168 booths), where it not only drew the interest of buyers but also from commercial agents, proving its growth potential within the Chinese market. 'reygrei' is awaiting its official release on VIP.com around this Fall, one of the 3 leading B2C internet shopping malls with the largest sales among Chinese E-commerce mobile apps.
A Maison de ANAIS Co., Ltd. spokesperson stated, "The online fashion market is attractive to us as it can be a key factor to settling down into the Chinese market among the fast changing sales industry in China. By introducing VIP.COM, Maison de ANAIS hopes to promote the brand to various buyers and distribution channels in China by increasing the brand competitiveness and reference of 'greygrei' as we establish direct contact with the customers." The company is also introducing the brands 'greygrei' and 'Maison de ANAIS' alongside 'ANAIS', which focuses on daily practical clothing designs by appropriately mixing trendy items into their basic everyday clothing lineups. The basic contemporary casual brand has received increasing support each year from the Korean female consumer demographic thanks to their choices in using a differentiated collection of materials and patterns, promoting comfort and chic styling to fashion leaders focusing on borderless and ageless stylings.
President Jeong Ho Lee stated: "Times are changing where a wide range of age-groups, especially female consumers in between their late 20's and late 30's, are taking the main role in invigorating the fashion market in China, from an era where the early to mid 20's used to be at the helm. 'greygrei' and 'Maison de ANAIS' hope to write the success story with China as the main stage." 'greygrei' specialize on over-sized, loose-fit and H-silhouette coats, shirts and dresses with an overall minimalistic feel. We will strive to be noticed as a global brand by the Chinese consumers, for our efforts to pursuit the unique identity of Maison de ANAIS. Maison de ANAIS Co., Ltd.
President Jeong Ho Lee
E-mail: anaisglob@naver.com
Web: http://cn.anais.biz Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180824/2219386-1 SOURCE Maison de ANAIS Co., Ltd.
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[August 31, 2018] Razer Raises the Level Cap with Best-in-Class Peripherals: Kraken Tournament Edition, BlackWidow Elite & Mamba Wireless
SEATTLE and BERLIN, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- (PAX WEST, SEATTLE; IFA, BERLIN) Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, announced three best-in-class products at PAX West and IFA today: the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition headset, the BlackWidow Elite keyboard and the Razer Mamba Wireless mouse. Forged for esports athletes, these three new peripherals further solidify Team Razer's place at the top of the leaderboards. Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan said: "Since founding Razer, we've pushed to make products with unprecedented technology to give gamers the greatest advantage possible. At the same time, our long history working with the world's top esports athletes gives us unique insight into what features work best and should be conserved or fine-tuned. Our newest Razer Kraken Tournament Edition headset, BlackWidow Elite keyboard and Mamba Wireless mouse are perfect examples of how leading-edge technology combines with time-honored design for the win." David Tse, Global Esports Director for Razer, added, "This next generation of Razer tournament gear enables our @TeamRazer esports athletes to even further dominate the competition through functional superiority. Each of these peripherals are at the top of their family, delivering extreme performance and customization for our most discerning gamers." For more information about Razer's best-in-class peripherals, please visit https://www.razer.com/campaigns/raise-the-level-cap Razer Kraken Tournament Edition:
Gamers with the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition can now experience pinpoint positional sound with THX Spatial Audio, and extreme comfort with cooling gel ear cushions for long gaming sessions. The Razer Kraken with its signature Razer green headband has been a staple for gamers and esports professionals since 2012. This latest evolution is the complete competitive gaming solution for delivering full audio controls via a USB Audio Controller. The controller allows on-the-fly bass level adjustment, and a customized mix between game and team chat volume through Game/Chat Balance. The headset has been designed with cooling gel-infused ear cushions, hidden eyewear channels, and an improved ultra-soft padded headband for complete comfort during long gaming sessions. The Razer Kraken Tournament Edition is the world's first gaming headset to support THX Spatial Audio creating realistic depth and immersion by simulating 360 sound with pinpoint accuracy for greater awareness during gameplay. This technology combined with custom-tuned 50 mm drivers provide clarity, a punchy bass, and the promise of a remarkable competitive gaming edge. With its 3.5 mm combo audio jack, the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition is also cross-platform compatible, working with the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices alike. All told, the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition provides better sound customization, unrivalled positional audio and long-lasting comfort for $99.99 / 99,99. For more information about the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition, please visit https://www.razer.com/gaming-audio/razer-kraken-tournament-edition Availability: Razer Kraken Tournament Edition: September 2018 THX Spatial Audio THX Spatial Audio is an end-to-end positional audio solution that delivers improved support on stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 content, and is future-ready with support for ambisonics and object-based audio. It offers communication-enhancing features and multiple sound processing modes, providing tactical in-game advantages and greater immersion across all gaming genres. For more information about THX Spatial Audio, please visit
https://www.razer.com/thx-spatial-audio Razer BlackWidow Elite
Unlock new levels of control with the improved Razer BlackWidow Elite and its best-in-class Razer Mechanical Switches, dedicated media keys, Multi-Function Digital Dial and Razer Hypershift, which allows every key to become a macro key via Razer's Synapse 3 software. This customization software offers users the ability to program lighting effects for increased immersion. Razer Synapse 3 also allows for the complete customization of key bindings and assigning macros to any key to give gamers the competitive advantage. The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a gaming keyboard designed for peak performance, featuring improved Razer Mechanical Switches available in green, orange and yellow, with new dual sidewalls for increaed stability, and an 80 million keystroke lifespan.
The Razer BlackWidow Elite is the first in the BlackWidow line to have Hybrid On-board Memory and Cloud Storage and up to five profile configurations that can be saved for use anywhere. Beyond gaming, the Razer BlackWidow Elite features a Multi-Function Digital Dial and three media keys. A USB 2.0 and audio pass-through and wire routing allow for easy cable management. Complete with a padded wrist rest, gamers can play comfortably for hours to help them outlast the competition.
The Razer BlackWidow was the world's first mechanical gaming keyboard in 2010. In 2014, Razer started manufacturing the Razer Mechanical Switch, the first mechanical switch designed for gaming. The iconic BlackWidow again breaks the boundaries of gaming with the Razer BlackWidow Elite. The Razer BlackWidow Elite is the most complete mechanical gaming keyboard for $169.99 / 179,99. For more information about the Razer BlackWidow Elite, please visit www.razer.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-blackwidow-elite Availability: Razer BlackWidow Elite: August 31, 2018 Razer Mamba Wireless
With the best-in-class Razer 5G optical sensor and industry-leading wireless technology, gamers with the Razer Mamba Wireless can play unhindered at their full potential with minimal downtime. Featuring an acclaimed Razer 5G Advanced Optical Sensor with true 16,000 DPI and a resolution accuracy of 99.4 percent - the highest available on the market - gamers can expect to experience a new standard of precision and speed. Combined with Razer's proprietary adaptive frequency technology, which ensures the most stable wireless connection possible, and a battery life of up to 50 hours on a single charge, the Razer Mamba Wireless allows gamers to play for extended hours. The mouse also comes with Razer Mechanical Mouse Switches, durable up to 50 million clicks, and seven buttons that are programmable via Razer Synapse 3. With Hybrid On-board Memory and Cloud Storage, gamers can save up to five profiles to their mouse for easy access anywhere. The Razer Mamba Wireless also retains the classic ergonomic design with updates to the side grips for even greater comfort. The Razer Mamba Wireless offers best-in-class wireless performance at an affordable price of $99.99 / 99,99. For more information about the Razer Mamba Wireless, please visit
https://www.razer.com/gaming-mice/razer-mamba-wireless Availability: Razer Mamba Wireless: September 2018 Razer Kraken Tournament Edition Product Features: Headphones Frequency response: 12 Hz 28 kHz
Impedance: 32 ? @ 1 kHz
Sensitivity (@1 kHz): 109 dB
Input power: 30 mW (Max)
Drivers: 50 mm, with Neodymium magnets
Inner ear cup diameter: 56 mm / 2.2 in.
Connection type: Analog 3.5 mm
Cable length: 1.3 m / 4.27 ft.
/ 4.27 ft. Approx. weight: 322 g / 0.71 lbs.
Oval ear cushions: Designed for full-ear coverage with cooling gel, perfect for long-wearing comfort Microphone Frequency response: 100 Hz 10 kHz
Impedance: 32 ? @ 1 kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio: > 60 dB
Sensitivity (@1 kHz): -45 3 dB
Pick-up pattern: Unidirectional ECM boom In-line control Analog volume control wheel
Microphone quick mute toggle USB dongle Controls: Vol up/down, Bass up/down, THX Spatial On/Off*, Mic mute, Game/Chat balance
Cable length: 2.0 m Audio Usage Audio Usage: Devices with 3.5 mm audio jack
Audio + microphone usage: Devices with 3.5 mm audio + mic combined jack
Audio Controller usage: PC with USB port Images: For digital screens (websites, mobile, social media) http://rzr.to/KrakenTE-RR Video: http://rzr.to/KrakenTE-YT Razer BlackWidow Elite Product Features: Razer Mechanical Switches designed for gaming
80 million keystroke life-span
Razer Chroma customizable backlighting with 16.8 million color options
Ergonomic wrist rest
Multi-Function Digital Dial
Dedicated media controls
USB 2.0 and audio pass through
Hybrid On-Board Memory and Cloud Storage up to 5 profiles
Razer Synapse 3 enabled
Cable routing
10 key rollover anti-ghosting
Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
Gaming mode option
1000 Hz Ultrapolling Images: For digital screens (websites, mobile, social media) http://rzr.to/BW-Elite-RR Video: http://rzr.to/BW-Elite-YT Razer Mamba Wireless Product Features: Razer 5G Advanced Optical Sensor with true 16,000 DPI
Up to 450 in./sec. (IPS) / 50 G acceleration
1000 Hz Ultrapolling
Seven independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons
Razer Mechanical Mouse Switches with 50 million clicks life cycle
Gaming-grade tactile scroll wheel
Ergonomic right-handed design
Razer Chroma lighting with 16.8 million customizable color options
Hybrid On-Board Memory and Cloud Storage up to 5 profiles
Razer Synapse 3 enabled
Approximate size: 125.7 mm / 4.95 in. (Length) X 70.0 mm / 2.75 in. (Width) X 43.2 mm / 1.70 in (Height)
Approximate weight (excluding cable): 106 g / 0.213 lbs.
Cable length: 2.1 m / 6.89 ft. Images: For digital screens (websites, mobile, social media) http://rzr.to/MambaW-RR Video: http://rzr.to/MambaW-YT About Razer: Razer is the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers. The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world's largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services. The award-winning hardware of Razer includes high-performance gaming peripherals, Blade gaming laptops and the acclaimed Razer Phone. Razer's software platform, with over 50 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher). Razer services include Razer zGold, one of the world's largest virtual credit services for gamers, which allows gamers to purchase virtual goods and items from over 2,500 different games. Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, Razer has nine offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337). Press Contacts: Global Alain Mazer
Alain.Mazer@razer.com Americas Kevin Allen
Kevin.Allen@razer.com Europe/Africa Jan Horak
Jan.Horak@razer.com Asia Pacific Raymond Lau
Raymond.Lau@razer.com China Evita Zhang
Evita.Zhang@razer.com Razer For Gamers. By Gamers. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/razer-raises-the-level-cap-with-best-in-class-peripherals-kraken-tournament-edition-blackwidow-elite--mamba-wireless-300703784.html SOURCE Razer
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[August 31, 2018] Kindred and Scientific Games Digital in U.S. Partnership
VALLETTA, Malta, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kindred partners with Scientific Games to use their Open Platform System and Open Gaming System in New Jersey. The agreement covers three years, with the ability to extend for another two years. Kindred Group (previously Unibet Group) has selected SG Digital, a division of Scientific Games as their technology partner in the U.S. Kindred will use SG Digital's Open Platform System (a player account management platform) and Open Gaming System (a game aggregation technology) to enable a short time to market and thereby the ability to serve U.S. customers in the near future. The agreement covers the state of New Jersey, where SG Digital already has a license, but the aim is to extend the partnership to other U.S. states if, or when, Kindred decides to expand its U.S. presence. Kindred and SG Digital have signed a three-year agreement, with the option to extend thereafter. "We are delighted to partner with SG Digital in the U.S., giving us swift access to the market and our coming U.S. customers a truly great gambling experience on a top technology platform. Kindred has always put the customer at the heart of our operations and ensuring that they can enjoy gambling in a safe, secure and stable environment is crucial for us", says Manuel Stan, SVP Kindred US. "This partnership signifies a bright future for SG Digital and Kindred in New Jersey. The growing market will benefit greatly from our Open Gaming System and Open Platform System technologies, and we're thrilled to work with Kindred", says Dylan Slaney, SVP Gaming at SG Digital. The deal follows shortly after Kindred announced the partnership with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City to pursue a Casino Service Industry Enterprise License in New Jersey. For more information:
Manuel Stan, SVP Kindred US
+1-702-333-5360
manuel.stan@kindredgroup.com Alexander Westrell
Group Head of Communications
+46-73-7071686
alexander.westrell@kindredgroup.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/kindred-group/r/kindred-and-scientific-games-digital-in-u-s--partnership,c2605165 The following files are available for download:
http://mb.cision.com/Main/824/2605165/900586.pdf PDF
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[August 31, 2018] The top-selling Chinese Vacuum Cleaner, Puppyoo, to Attend IFA Berlin
BEIJING, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 31, the world largest and most influential trade show, Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) opened. Puppy Electronic Appliances Internet Technology Beijing Co., Ltd. (Puppyoo), the Chinese vacuum cleaner brand boasting the top online sales for consecutive six years, presented together with its brand new flagship cleaner T10 Pro. As Puppyoo's high-end flagship product in 2018, T10 Pro cordless vacuum cleaner features the linear wind rail with powerful suction and the all-white PC-based glossy surface is easy to se and appealing in appearance. It has obtained 38 patents and won the China Household Appliances Innovation Award given by China Household Electric Appliance Research Institute (CHEARI). Despite of the poor popularizing rate of cleaners in Mainland China, i.e. 11% reported by industry surveys, more than 10,000 cleaners has been booked within one month after its launch.
Given the trend of consumption upgrading in China, cleaners will be welcomed by more Chinese families in future. The experience and technologies accumulated in the cleaner sector over the past 19 years makes Puppyoo a leader in the Mainland China market and enables it to explore overseas markets like renowned brands as Haier and Hisense. Puppyoo has registered its brand in more than 40 countries and exported products to 86 countries. In the future, the cleaner market previously monopolized by European and American brands will see more players from China. SOURCE Puppy Electronic Appliances Internet Technology Beijing Co., Ltd.
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[August 31, 2018] Nanjing: Great CIS, Great Software City
NANJING, China, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 31, 2018, the ancient capital Nanjing ushered in the annual industry event - China (Nanjing) International Software Products & Information Services Expo (CIS), which has been the 14th session. Since the creation of the software city in 2005, Nanjing software and information service industry has experienced 13 years' development and has become one of Nanjing's first advantageous industries and important development strategies. It has also become an important support for Nanjing to build a global innovative city. In 2010, Nanjing was recognized as the first "Chinese Software City" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Nowadays, CIS has grown into one of the largest, most internationalized and most influential software and information service exhibitions in China. It has formed the development pattern with the focus of China (Nanjing) Software Valley, Nanjing Software Park and Jiangsu Software Park, supported by provincial software parks such as Xuzhuang Software Park and provincial Internet industry park. Until 2017, Nanjing has 4,500 software companies, introduced 30 companies of Fortune 500 and 37 of Chinese Top 100 companies. In 2017, the software revenue has reached 392.6 billion yuan, accounting for 44% in Jiangsu Province. The software industry continues to be among the best in domestic cities. In the first half of this year, China (Nanjing) Software Valley, Nanjing Software Park, Jiangsu Software Park realized the software business income of 137.8 billion yuan, 12 million new soft-related employees, new soft industry building area of 470,000 square meters.
The theme of this year's Soft Expo is "Digital World, Smart Future", which lasts for 4 days. The scale of the exhibition is 110,000 square meters. It focuses on the software development, investment environment, intellectual property protection environment and innovation of Jiangsu Province and Nanjing software industries. It also showed the newest technologies, products and services of the well-known companies. Compared with previous sessions, this year's CIS will specially add innovative city area, AI area, industrial internet area, safe and reliable software area, and smart health area, fully demonstrating the latest integrated technologies, products and application, such as Internet, AI, big data, manufacturing, modern service industry, agriculture, big health industry and other new industries. It is showing outstanding cases in the fields of digital economy and information consumption, like 5G, Internet of Things, integrated circuits. Based on the development foundation and advantages of the software and information service industry, Nanjing is focusing on promoting the deep integration of the Internet, big data, AI and the real economy, adhering to the high-end, clustering and integration development orientation. Nanjing will provide industrial support and development momentum for being an innovative city with global influence.
Image Attachments Links:
http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=318453 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nanjing-great-cis-great-software-city-300705298.html SOURCE China (Nanjing) International Software Products & Information Services Expo (CIS)
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[August 31, 2018] LegalShield Adds Benefits Industry Veteran as Vice President of Sales
LegalShield, one of North America's leading providers of affordable legal plans for individuals, families and small businesses, announced today that Dave MacLean has joined the company as Vice President of Sales for the company's Business Solutions division. Mr. MacLean brings 30 years of experience and leadership focused on selling and managing large employee benefit programs. He specializes in benefit distribution in the public and commercial sectors; group insurance and personal lines in the Property & Casualty space; government contracting; compensation plan design; and sales leadership. He is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and a licensed Life, Health, Accident and Personal Life producer. "I'm delighted to join LegalShield, a company that is not only firmly established as a leader in the voluntary benefits space, but enormously respected as a pioneer in bringing affordable legal plans to millions of Americans," said MacLean. Prior to joining LegalShield, Mr. MacLean was Senior Partner at Calleta Partners LLC, an employee benefits distribution consulting firm located in West Palm Beach FL. Before that, he spent nearly 27 years at MetLife leading teams responsible for the sale, implementation and servicing of employer-sponsored personal lines to companies of all sizes, including the U.S. Department of Defense, Fortune 100 companies, states, municipalities, schools and universities. Mr. MacLean's teams frequently exceeded annual sales of more than $100 million.
"Dave is a highly respected leader in the large employee benefits space with strong product knowledge of group legal plans. As LegalShield's Business Solutions division continues to grow to meet the demands of our national broker partners and customers, Dave will play a major role in expanding our marketplace presence and driving awareness of LegalShield and IDShield products," said Glenn Petersen, President of LegalShield Business Solutions division. "We are excited to welcome Dave to our team. His extensive experience, professionalism and forward-thinking approach will be an asset to not only our team but to our growth in the marketplace," said Emily Rose, Senior Vice President, Broker and Partnership Sales.
Mr. MacLean lives in Mendham, New Jersey, with his wife Monica and two children, Rebecca and Patrick. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. About LegalShield A pioneer in the democratization of affordable access to legal protection, LegalShield is one of North America's leading providers of legal safeguards and identity theft protection for individuals, families and small businesses. The 46-year-old company has more than 1.7 million members that are covered by its legal and identity theft plans. IDShield provides identity theft protection to one million individuals. LegalShield and IDShield serve more than 141,000 businesses. Both legal and identity theft plans start for less than $25 per month. LegalShield's legal plans provide access to attorneys with an average of 22 years of experience in areas such as family matters, estate planning, financial and business issues, consumer protection, tax, real estate, benefits disputes and auto/driving issues. Unlike other legal plans or do-it-yourself websites, LegalShield has dedicated law firms in 50 states and four provinces in Canada that members can call for help without having to worry about high hourly rates. IDShield provides identity monitoring and restoration services and is the only identity theft protection company armed with a team of licensed private investigators on call to restore a member's identity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005032/en/
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[August 31, 2018] Infiniti Research Highlights Key Applications of Machine Learning in Healthcare | Infiniti Research
Infiniti Research, a world-renowned market intelligence solutions provider, has announced the completion of their latest article on the key applications of machine learning in healthcare. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005129/en/ Top Machine Learning Applications in Healthcare That You Must Appreciate (Graphic: Business Wire) The constantly increasing population has put great pressure on the healthcare sector, especially in terms of offering quality treatment and healthcare services. Now, more than ever, people are demanding smart applications, healthcare services, and wearables that'll help them to lead better lives and extend their lifespan. This need for a 'better' healthcare service is gradually creating the scope for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications in healthcare and pharma world. Today, AI, ML, and deep learning are moving to every imaginable domain, and healthcare, too, isn't untouched. To know more about the scope of our research engagement, request a proposal "The need for a better healthcare service is increasingly creating the scope for artificial intelligence (AI)applications in the healthcare sector," says an industry expert from Infiniti.
Applications of machine learning in healthcare: Discovery and development of drug: Machine learning applications help in the discovery and development of drugs, varying from sequencing for next generation to applications in precision medicine. In the primary stage, the initial testing and the early screening would help machine learning applications in predicting the success rate of drugs by taking into account many biological factors. Machine learning is also used with precision medicines to better understand the mechanisms of a disease and, consequently, develop a better treatment plan for the diseases. To know more about our portfolio of market intelligence solutions , get in touch
Machine learning applications help in the discovery and development of drugs, varying from sequencing for next generation to applications in precision medicine. In the primary stage, the initial testing and the early screening would help machine learning applications in predicting the success rate of drugs by taking into account many biological factors. Machine learning is also used with precision medicines to better understand the mechanisms of a disease and, consequently, develop a better treatment plan for the diseases. , Robotic surgery - An innovative addition: Robotic surgery is one of the advanced machine learning applications in healthcare. Even though robotic surgery is nothing alien to healthcare at present, machine learning help adds more to the use of robots in surgical processes. Machine learning provides more precision in finding the specific body parts or organs for surgery. To know more about our portfolio of solutions , request a proposal
Robotic surgery is one of the advanced machine learning applications in healthcare. Even though robotic surgery is nothing alien to healthcare at present, machine learning help adds more to the use of robots in surgical processes. Machine learning provides more precision in finding the specific body parts or organs for surgery. , Automation in healthcare: Automation is going to be one of the major trends for firms in the healthcare industry. With the help of machine learning applications, robotic surgeons will become completely automated and substitute humans when it comes to surgical procedures. Automation is also likely to be combined with machine learning applications too.
Automation is going to be one of the major trends for firms in the healthcare industry. With the help of machine learning applications, robotic surgeons will become completely automated and substitute humans when it comes to surgical procedures. Automation is also likely to be combined with machine learning applications too. Get in touch, to know more about the key applications of machine learning in healthcare Infiniti Research is a global market intelligence company offering strategic insights to help look beyond market disruptions, study competitive activity, and develop intelligent business strategies. Listed below are the key applications of machine learning in healthcare.
View the complete list of the key applications of machine learning in healthcare: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/thoughts/machine-learning-applications-healthcare About Infiniti Research Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. With 15+ years of experience and offices across three continents, Infiniti Research has been instrumental in providing a complete range of competitive intelligence, strategy, and research services for over 550 companies across the globe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005129/en/
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Hot Topics Recap: Back to School 2018
Following are the latest Back to School 2018 news releases and story ideas for reporters, bloggers and media outlets. These recaps, curated by Business Wire, provide reporters and bloggers around the globe instant access to the latest news releases, providing relevant and trending content to share with their audiences. Discover more news via Business Wire's Hot Topic recaps or create a custom news feed specific to your needs here. This service is provided at no charge to members of the media and financial communities.
LONDON--Global Headphones Market 2018-2022 to Benefit From the Rush for Back-to-school Supplies | Technavio Source (News - Alert) : Technavio Research
PHOENIX--Children in Phoenix Receive Free Comprehensive Eye Exams and Prescription Glasses as Part of Back-to-School Public Health Event Source: UnitedHealthcare
LONDON--Global Smart Shoes Market to Benefit from the Rush for Back-to-School Supplies | Technavio Source: Technavio Research
NEW YORK--Monetate Study Shows Back-to-School Shoppers Still Prefer to Purchase In-Store Source: Monetate
CHICAGO--Back to School: Groupon's Free Student Discount Program Helps College Students Afford More Experiences Source: Groupon
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--STEM Education Toy Company Microduino Aggressively Expands Nationwide Retail Presence and Product Distribution with Addition of Fry's Electronics to Growing List of Retail Partners Source: Microduino, Inc.
LONDON--Global Smart Shoes Market to Benefit from the Rush for Back-to-School Supplies | Technavio Source: Technavio Research
PALMETTO, Fla.--Palmetto Elementary School Receives 'Truck Load' of School Supplies from Monster Jam & Great Clips Source: Great Clips, Inc.
LONDON--Global Educational Toys Market | Back to School Season 2018 Triggers Huge Demand | Technavio Source: Technavio Research
HOUSTON--Children in Houston Receive Free Vision Screenings, Eye Exams and Prescription Glasses as Part of Back-to-School Public Health Event Source: UnitedHealthcare
PHILADELPHIA--Going Back to School? R.E.L.A.X. Source: AmeriHealth Caritas
LOS ANGELES--Peatos versus Cheetos: Revolutionary New Snack Explodes onto the Scene with a Tiger Mascot and Provocative Tagline Source: Snack it Forward
PALO ALTO, Calif.--Optimized Online Shopping: Elementary for Back to School Source: Instart Logic
LONDON--Office Stationery and Supplies B2B Market in the US | Office Workers Go Back to School | Technavio Source: Technavio Research
PLANO, Texas--Rent-A-Center Sends 60 Students Back to School with Google Chromebooks and $60,000 in Scholarships Source: Rent-A-Center, Inc.
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--New McAfee Survey Finds Parents Ignore Their Own Concerns of Sharing Images of Their Children Online Source: McAfee (News - Alert)
PITTSBURGH--PPG Completes COLORFUL COMMUNITIES Project at Propel Homestead Public Charter School in Pittsburgh Source: PPG
LONDON--Global Online Apparel Retailing Market - High Demand from Generation Z to Boost Growth| Technavio Source: Technavio Research
WASHINGTON--Let GEICO Help You Have the "Safe Driving" Talk During Back-to-School Season Source: GEICO
HOUSTON--Texas-Based Company Launches #AllSmilesNoGuns Back to School Giveaway Source: Karya Property Management
NEW YORK--Head Back-to-School in Style with Must-Have Grooming Tools from Braun Source: Procter & Gamble
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Happy Returns Brings In-Person Returns to College and University Campuses Source: Happy Returns
WASHINGTON--One Out of Two Kids is Missing Out on Key Nutrients Critical for Their Health Source: MilkPEP
ATLANTA--Amerigroup Georgia Launches Style Tour to Increase Access to Clothing and Haircuts to Prepare Kids for New School Season Source: Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia
MINNETONKA, Minn.--UnitedHealthcare Eye Care Program Gives Children Across the Country Access to Comprehensive Eye Exams and Glasses Source: UnitedHealthcare
FINDLAY, Ohio--Cooper Tire's Tread Wisely Program Offers Important Back-to-School Tire Safety Tips, Encourages Students to Take Part in Tire Safety Campaign for the Chance to Win a $3,000 Scholarship Source: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
CULVER CITY, Calif.--Back-to-School Stress Can Coincide with the Onset of Mental Illness in Some Adolescents Source: Southern California Hospital at Culver City
MIAMI & DALLAS--Southern Glazer's Donates 3,000 Backpacks with School Supplies to Children's Home Society of Florida Source: Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC
FAIRFAX, Va.--PMA Celebrates Back to School with New Resources on PestWorldForKids.org Source: National Pest Management Association
PHILADELPHIA--Aramark Brings Gen Z Food Trends to Life with New Back-to-School Offerings on College Campuses Nationwide Source: Aramark
PLANTATION, Fla.--Dental Issues Can Negatively Impact Children's School Success Source: DentalPlans.com
RANCHO CUCAMONGO, Calif.--Southern California Retailer Active Ride Shop Giving Away $100,000 to Local High Schools Source: Active Ride Shop
MINNEAPOLIS--Survey Reports Nearly 80 Percent of Parents across North America Estimate Spending 10-25 Percent More Money on School Supplies in 2018 Source: Lola Red
MIDWEST CITY, Okla.--Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy Welcomes Students Back to School for 2018-19 Academic Year Source: Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA)
NEWARK, N.J.-- $3 Million in Free Classroom Supplies Now Available to Teachers from ClassTag Source: ClassTag
CAMP HILL, Pa.--Make the Grade this School Year with Back-to-School Shopping at Rite Aid Source: Rite Aid Corporation
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--New Survey Shows That Majority of Parents Prefer Back-to-School Shopping In-Store as a Chance to Spend Quality Time with their Children Source: Staples
NEW YORK--This School Year Is Time To Shine With A+ Style From Macy's Source: Macy's
NEW YORK--Barnes & Noble Celebrates Educators Just in Time for Back-to-School Source: Barnes & Noble, Inc.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Empowers Families to Provide Education Around the World Through Purchases of ME to WE Back-to-School Supplies Source: Walgreens
NEW YORK--American Eagle Takes It to the Ne(X)t Level with Fall Jeans Campaign Source: American Eagle
SAN FRANCISCO--Old Navy's Cause Platform ONward! Teams Up with Kristen Bell to Rock Your First Day of School Source: Old Navy
CHICAGO & NEW YORK--The Back-to-School Shopping Paradox: Parents Save Time but Spend More When They Bring Their Children Along, Citi Retail Services Survey Finds Source: Citi
TAMPA, Fla.--Amscot Financial Contributes Mini-Grants to 18 Non-Profit Service Groups Source: Amscot Financial
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--Staples and Jessica Alba Team Up to Prepare Students for a Successful School Year Source: Staples
WASHINGTON--Back-to-School and College Spending to Reach $82.8 Billion Source: National Retail Federation
TORONTO--Newegg Canada Announces Its 2018 Back-to-School Campaign Source: Newegg Canada
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--Big Box Wins Back-To-School Source: Shopkick (News - Alert) , Inc.
MINNEAPOLIS--Oscar Winning Actor, Artist and Activist, Common, Joins AdoptAClassroom.org and Their Partner Burlington Stores for the Second Year to Support Teachers and Students in Need Source: Burlington Stores, Inc.
CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Dollar Tree Celebrates the Opening of Its 15,000th Store with Grand Openings across the U.S.A. Source: Dollar Tree, Inc.
BELLEVUE, Wash.--T-Mobile's Got Your Back for Back-to-School with Serious Smartphone Savings! Source: T-Mobile (News - Alert) US, Inc.
LIVONIA, Mich.--Valassis Offers Insights to Retailers for Highly Anticipated Back-to-School Season Source: Valassis
BOCA RATON, Fla.--Office Depot Unveils Hot New Supplies, Tech and Furniture to Help Students Go 'Back to School Proud' Source: Office Depot, Inc.
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.--Kohl's Cares Prepares Young Readers for Back-to-School with I Can Read! Books Source: Kohl's
SAN FRANCISCO--Ebates Back to School Survey: 75 Percent of American Parents Say Back-to-School Shopping Will Cause Tension Between Them and Their Teens Source: Ebates
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[August 31, 2018] Infrastructure Monitoring Market Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts 2023
Market Overview: Infrastructure Monitoring is the continuous process of collection of data at regular intervals to provide alerts of unplanned downtime, resource saturation, and network intrusion. Infrastructure monitoring is also useful in forensic investigations to determine the main cause of errors. The basic objective of infrastructure monitoring is to analyze system administration practices for any loopholes in the system and minimize errors. Every set of data has its technological grievances which stand to be the reason for monitoring tools to customize and configure the system according to users needs. On the other hand, specialized monitoring tools collect a certain type of data only; which is later integrated with general purpose systems, making the process tedious. This turns out to be a restraining factor for the growth of infrastructure monitoring market. Infrastructure monitoring services assist in the monitoring the performance parameters so that users can take appropriate measures to ensure optimum service operations and high uptime.
Managed Service Providers (MSP) have recently been facing the challenge of monitoring data usage which is leading to higher cost involvement. To resolve this, Datadog Inc. (U.S.A.) has developed a hierarchical page which ensures that every user account is being monitored individually. This results in a specific focus on every users query or alert separately and resolving them within less time.
Request a Sample report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5886 Major Key players The prominent players in the market of Infrastructure Monitoring are - Accel Frontline Limited (U.S.A.), Tildeslash Ltd (U.K.), Nagios Enterprises (U.S.A.), Datadog, Inc.(U.S.A.), Zabbix LLC. (U.S.A.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.A.), Cisco Systems (U.S.A.), ITRS GROUP LTD. (U.K.), Netmagic Solutions (India), Observium Limited (U.K.), CapaSystems A/S (Denmark), Zenoss Inc. (U.S.A.), Plumbr (Europe), among others.
Other players include BMC Software, Inc. (U.S.A.), Updown.io (France), CopperEgg (U.S.A.), Amazon Web Services, Inc. (U.S.A.), CA Technologies (U.S.A.), NodeQuery (Europe), Server Density Limited (U.K.), Pandora FMS (Spain) and 247 Computing Services Pvt. Ltd.(India). The prominent players keep innovating and investing in research and development to present a cost-effective product portfolio. There has been recent mergers and acquisitions among the key players, a strategy the business entities leverage to strengthen their reach to the customers.
Regional Analysis The global infrastructure monitoring market is estimated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. The geographical analysis of infrastructure monitoring market marks the study for regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand) and rest of the world (including the Middle East, Africa, and South America). Among these regions, the market is led by North America. North America has a higher concentration of service vendors providing monitoring tools and solutions for small as well as large enterprises. Hence, North America is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.
Also due to technology enhancement and redundancy minimization in infrastructure monitoring market, other regions including APAC and Europe are expected to show gradual growth in the market. Growing IT infrastructure and business expansions across the world have resulted in the adoption of remote infrastructure monitoring that makes use of cloud-based technology. Developing countries like India are moving towards digitization and thus, are expected to show a high growth rate. Intense competition can be observed among companies on the basis of low redundancy rate as well as provision of customized services.
Segmentation By Deployment, the market is segmented into Premises Infrastructure and Cloud-based Infrastructure.
By Type, the market is segmented into System Monitoring, Network Monitoring, Uptime Monitoring, Process Monitoring and Others.
By Operating Systems, the market is segmented into UNIX, LINUX, MS Windows and MacOS.
By Data Collection, the market is segmented into Passive Systems and Active Systems.
By Services, the market is segmented into Professional Services and Managed Services.
Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/infrastructure-monitoring-market-5886 Intended Audience Component manufacturers Sensor manufacturers OEM End users Raw material vendors Distributors Component providers Government and private firms System integrators Technology investors About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.
MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.
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[August 31, 2018] ABI Research Analyst Chairs and Moderates Carriers World Conference Panel Session on September 12, 2018
OYSTER BAY, N.Y., Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 12, 2018, during the Carriers World 2018 conference, Malik Saadi, ABI Research's Vice President, Strategic Technologies will present the Chair 's opening address at 9 am BST and moderate the Platform-Based Business Models session: Transforming into a Platform-Based Business
Wednesday, September 12, 2018 - 9:10 am BST The panelists discussion will include: The "Uber for MNOs and ISPs": Can carriers evolve towards the platform model?
Is consolidation a prerequisite for scalable platforms?
The role of platforms in being fit for the digital age
Delivering agility and flexibility across your business To learn more about the session, click here. For more information about the Carriers World 2018 event, click here. About ABI Research ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI's own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Our analysts strategically guide visionaries to take action now and inspire their business to realize a bigger picture. For more information about ABI Research's forecasting, consulting and teardown services, visionaries can contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit www.abiresearch.com.
Contact Info:
Global
Deborah Petrara Lacie Iacolino Tel: +1.516.624.2558 Tel: +1.516.624.2557 pr@abiresearch.com pr@abiresearch.com
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[August 31, 2018] Goldmoney and Mene to Present and Exhibit at the 2018 Denver Gold Forum
Goldmoney Inc. (TSX:XAU) ("Goldmoney"), a precious metal financial service and technology company, and Mene Inc. ("Mene"), a luxury e-commerce brand which crafts pure 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry, are pleased to announce that both companies will be presenting and exhibiting at the 2018 Denver Gold Forum that will take place September 24-26, 2018 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Both Roy Sebag, CEO of Goldmoney and Mene, and Josh Crumb, Chief Strategy Officer of Goldmoney and Director of Mene, will deliver keynote presentations. Mene - 7:30 a.m., Monday, September 24, 2018. Peter Munk Memorial Center, Broadmoor Hotel & Resort
Goldmoney - 12:20 p.m., Tuesday, September 25, 2018. Peter Munk Memorial Center, Broadmoor Hotel & Resort The Goldmoney presentation will provide updates on the company's recent activity and expansion plans for the future. The Mene presentation will focus on the differences between the Western and Eastern jewelry industries and how this affects demand for gold. The presentation will also introduce attendees to Mene and its upcoming listing on the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Sebag and Mr. Crumb will also participate in one-on-one meetings with registered conference attendees. Registration is available only by invitation to qualified investors, portfolio managers, and private wealth managers. To set up a one-on-one meeting please contact ir@goldmoney.com. To celebrate Mene's recent launch and first six months of operation, the company will be giving away 100 individual 24 karat gold charms at the booth on Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th. Visit us in the Broadmoor Hall to learn more. About Goldmoney Inc. Goldmoney Inc., a financial service company traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:XAU), is a global leader in precious metal investment services and the world's largest precious metals payment network. Safeguarding nearly $2 billion in assets for clients located in more than 150 countries, Goldmoney is focused on a singular mission to make precious metals-backed savings accessible to all. Powered by Goldmoney's patented technology, the Goldmoney Holding is an online account that enables clients to invest, earn, or spend gold, silver, platinum, palladium and cryptocurrencies that are securely stored in insured vaults in seven countries. All bullion assets are fully allocated and physically redeemable property. Goldmoney Wealth Limited is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) as a Money Services Business. Goldmoney Network is a reporting entity to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), and is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the U.S. For more information about Goldmoney, visit goldmoney.com.
About Mene Inc. Mene crafts pure 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry that is transparently sold by gram weight. Through Mene.com customers can buy jewelry, monitor the value of their collection over time, and sell or exchange their pieces by gram weight at the prevailing market prices for gold and platinum. Mene was founded by Roy Sebag and Diana Widmaier Picasso to restore the relationship between jewelry and savings, empowering consumers by marrying innovative technology, timeless design, and pure precious metals to create pieces which endure as a store of value. For more information about Mene, visit: mene.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains or refers to certain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can often be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "potential" and "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. All information other than information regarding historical fact, which addresses activities, events or developments that the Goldmoney Inc. (the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information does not constitute historical fact but reflects the current expectations the Company regarding future results or events based on information that is currently available. 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 information will not occur. Such forward-looking information in this release speak only as of the date hereof. Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: service times for transactions on the Goldmoney network; growth of the Company's business, expected results of operations, and the market for the Company's products and services and competitive conditions. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made, and involves 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 future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: the Company's operating history; history of operating losses; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; fluctuations in the market price of the Company's common shares; the effect of government regulation and compliance on the Company and the industry; legal and regulatory change and uncertainty; jurisdictional factors associated with international operations; foreign restrictions on the Company's operations; product development and rapid technological change; dependence on technical infrastructure; protection of intellectual property; use and storage of personal information and compliance with privacy laws; network security risks; risk of system failure or inadequacy; the Company's ability to manage rapid growth; competition; effectiveness of the Company's risk management and internal controls; use of the Company's services for improper or illegal purposes; uninsured and underinsured losses; theft & risk of physical harm to personnel; precious metal trading risks; and volatility of precious metals prices & public interest in precious metals investment; and those risks set out in the Company's most recently filed annual information form, available on SEDAR. 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 or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005301/en/
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[August 31, 2018] Bottle Rocket Wins Top Honors in Innovation at Tech Titans 2018 Gala
DALLAS, Aug. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Last Friday evening at the Tech Titans 18th Annual Awards Gala, Bottle Rocket took home the award for Most Innovative Company, the organization's top honors for innovative companies under $200 million in revenue in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The event recognized the elite in North Texas technology and highlighted innovators that are giving companies competitive edge and impacting the technology industry for greater good. Accepting the award on behalf of Bottle Rocket and its over 200 Rocketeers was Calvin Carter, Bottle Rocket's founder and CEO. Surrounded by the top tech influencers of North Texas, colleagues and friends, Carter spoke openly about how humbling it is to be in such esteemed company. He went on to share his sincere appreciation and admiration for the great work that each and every nominee has contributed to innovation and technology. "Building an innovative enterprise in Dallas has always been humbling because from the start, we were surrounded by many great technology companies. However, it also helped inspire us to reach for more," said Carter. "We dedicated ourselves to suporting all of our Rocketeers in ever more unique and inspirational ways, to sharpening our technology mastery as if each month we had to once again prove ourselves worthy of working alongside the very best brands in the world. And we continuously deepened our understanding of connected customersan understanding that distinctly and preeminently keeps separating us from our very own previous best. Thankfully we have not slowed down because we love what we do! We learn together, we grow together, and together we drive value for our amazing clients," remarks Carter.
"What an honor it is to serve our clients, take on their challenges and make them our ownall while creating amazing experiences for their connected customers. Today, there are many more great technology enterprises in North Texas than when Bottle Rocket started ten years ago, proof that our tech community is increasingly vibrant. Personally, I am more focused and inspired than ever and looking forward to sharing many of the lessons Bottle Rocket has learned on our journey to understand and define the world of connected customers and how to best use technology to be with this powerful community in the most innovative, enticing, and productive ways." About Bottle Rocket
Bottle Rocket has been a thought leader at the intersection of technology and innovation since our inception in 2008. Headquartered in Dallas, we design and develop connected experiences that produce undeniable value for many of the world's most distinguished brands and their customers. Our more than 350 award-winning experiences have set new standards in connecting people to what they want and are reshaping how our clients compete and win in the marketplace. Bottle Rocket is a strategic partner within the Ogilvy integrated creative network. To learn more, visit us at bottlerocketstudios.com or drop us a note at hello@bottlerocketstudios.com.
CONTACT: Jana Boone, Bottle Rocket, jana.boone@bottlerocketstudios.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bottle-rocket-wins-top-honors-in-innovation-at-tech-titans-2018-gala-300705388.html SOURCE Bottle Rocket
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[August 31, 2018] Thales and Gemalto are Granted Regulatory Clearance from the Competition Board in Turkey
Regulatory News: Reference is made to the joint press release by Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) and Gemalto (News - Alert) (Euronext Amsterdam and Paris: GTO) dated 27 March 2018 in relation to the launch of the recommended all-cash offer by Thales for all the issued and outstanding shares of Gemalto (the "Offer"), the publication of the Offer Document, and the joint press release of Thales (News - Alert) and Gemalto dated 10 August 2018 in relation to the further extension of the Acceptance Period. Terms not defined in this press release will have the meaning as set forth in the Offer Document. Thales and Gemalto today announce that they have received antitrust Regulatory Clearance in Turkey. The decision of the Turkish Competition Board, which was notified today to Thales, is effective as of 27 August 2018. Together with the anti-trust clearance obtained in China and Israel, and clearances relating to foreign investments in Australia and Canada, Thales and Gemalto have obtained 5 of the required 14 Regulatory Clearances. Thales and Gemalto continue to work constructively with the competent antitrust authorities to obtain the remaining Regulatory Clearances in Australia, for the European Union, in Mexico, in New Zealand, in Russia, in South Africa and in the United States. In addition, Thales and Gemalto are seeking CFIUS approval in the United States and Regulatory Clearance relating to foreign investments from the competent authority in Russia. As expected, the transaction should close shortly after all of the Regulatory Clearances have been secured which should occur before the end of 2018. Further announcements will be made if and when a Regulatory Clearance has been obtained or the Offer Condition with respect to Regulatory Clearances is satisfied, waived or has become incapable of being satisfied, or as otherwise required by applicable law. As announced on 10 August 2018, the Acceptance Period has been further extended by Thales in accordance with an exemption granted by the Dutch financial markets authority (AFM) and will end two weeks after the fulfilment of the Offer Condition with respect to Regulatory Clearances or the waiver thereof (but no later than the Long Stop Date). **** This is a joint press release by Thales and Gemalto pursuant to Section 4, paragraph 3 of the Dutch decree on public takeover bids (Besluit openbare biedingen Wft) and section 17 paragraph 1 of the European Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014) in connection with the recommended all-cash offer by Thales for all the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Gemalto, including all American depositary shares. This announcement does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities in Gemalto. Any offer is only made by means of the Offer Document dated 27 March 2018, which is available on the website of Thales at www.thalesgroup.com/en/investors and on the website of Gemalto at www.gemalto.com/investors. About Thales The people we all rely on to make the world go round - they rely on Thales. Our customers come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions hat make tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depth of space and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster - mastering ever greater complexity and every decisive moment along the way.
With 65,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of 15.8 billion in 2017. www.thalesgroup.com
About Gemalto Gemalto is the global leader in digital security, with 2017 annual revenues of 3 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world. From secure software to biometrics and encryption, our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between. Gemalto's solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software - enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things. Our 15,000 employees operate out of 112 offices, 43 personalization and data centers, and 30 research and software development centers located in 48 countries. www.gemalto.com Notice to U.S. holders of Gemalto Shares
The Offer is made for the securities of Gemalto, a public limited liability company incorporated under Dutch Law, and is subject to Dutch disclosure and procedural requirements, which are different from those of the United States of America. The Offer is made in the United States of America in compliance with Section 14(e) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "U.S. Exchange Act"), and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including Regulation 14E (subject to any exemptions or relief therefrom, if applicable) and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Dutch law. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to the Offer timetable, settlement procedures, withdrawal, waiver of conditions and timing of payments that are different from those applicable under U.S. domestic tender offer procedures and laws. The receipt of cash pursuant to the Offer by a U.S. holder of Gemalto Shares may be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes and under applicable state and local, as well as foreign and other tax laws. Each holder of Gemalto shares is urged to consult his independent professional advisor immediately regarding the tax consequences of accepting the Offer. To the extent permissible under applicable laws and regulations, including Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Exchange Act, and in accordance with normal Dutch practice, Thales and its affiliates or its broker and its broker's affiliates (acting as agents or on behalf of Thales or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time after the date of the joint press release by Thales and Gemalto dated 17 December 2017, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly purchase, or arrange to purchase Shares or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for such Shares. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. In no event will any such purchases be made for a price per Share that is greater than the Offer Price. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in The Netherlands, such information will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S. shareholders of Gemalto of such information. No purchases will be made outside of the Offer in the United States of America by or on behalf of the Thales or its affiliates. In addition, the financial advisors to Thales may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Gemalto, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities. To the extent required in The Netherlands, any information about such purchases will be announced by press release in accordance with Section 5 paragraph 4 or Section 13 of the Dutch decree on public takeover bids (Besluit openbare biedingen Wft) and posted on the website of Thales at www.thalesgroup.com. Restrictions
The distribution of this press release may, in some countries, be restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into possession of this document should inform themselves of and observe these restrictions. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Thales and Gemalto disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of any such restrictions by any person. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of that jurisdiction. Neither Thales, nor Gemalto, nor any of their advisors assumes any responsibility for any violation by any of these restrictions. Any Gemalto shareholder who is in any doubt as to his position should consult an appropriate professional advisor without delay. Forward Looking Statements
This press release may include '"forward-looking statements" and language indicating trends, such as the words "anticipate", "expect", "approximate", "believe", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "may", "potential" and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are only based upon currently available information and speak only as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to a significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are unknown and many of which Thales and Gemalto are unable to predict or control. Such factors may cause Thales and/or Gemalto's actual results, performance or plans with respect to the transaction between Thales and Gemalto to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Neither Thales nor Gemalto, nor any of their advisors accepts any responsibility for any financial information contained in this press release relating to the business or operations or results or financial condition of the other or their respective groups. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005337/en/
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[August 31, 2018] Alpha Recovery Celebrates 8th Anniversary!
Alpha Recovery Corporation is proud to announce its eighth year as a leading provider of accounts receivable management services. In an era when many industry providers have found it impossible to stay in business, Alpha Recovery has achieved continual innovation and steady growth. The company commemorated the occasion with an employee chilli cook off, appreciation picnic, blood drive and food drive to support Feeding America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005424/en/ Alpha Turns 8! (Photo: Business Wire) Alpha Recovery began operations in 2010 when co founders John Curry, Chris DellaRatta and Frank Woodhouse left Colorado based Square Two Financial formerly Collect America, Ltd., giving credit issuers and debt buyers a trusted partner in asset sales consulting, collections and recovery.
While many companies have struggled to meet the compliance requirements of evolving consumer finance markets and the ARM (News - Alert) industry, Alpha has quietly built a robust corporate culture in which adherence to laws, client requirements and simply "doing the right thing - every time" is intricately woven. The company's commitment to its clients' liquidation performance, compliance and brand protection is matched only by its dedication to its employees. "Alpha Recovery's continual upgrading of existing tools, methodology and human talent reflects the company's ongoing commitment to delivering innovative, powerful, and robust solutions for debt recovery," states co founder John Curry. "We have a world class team in Denver, Phoenix and Tampa. We are proud of our success and humbled by the confidence our clients place in us."
To mark its Alpha Turns 8 anniversary celebration, the company supported Bonfils with a blood drive and Feeding America, and invites industry peers to join by doing the same in their locales, For details, visit our website at www.alpharecoverycorp.com or call us at 720-509-2125 About Alpha Recovery Corp Alpha Recovery Corp is a full service accounts receivable management (ARM) firm based in Centennial, CO with a satellite office in Tempe, AZ and sales office in Tampa, FL. Its executive team has a combined 90 years of ARM experience in contingency collections, consulting, asset sales and purchasing. For more information about Alpha Recovery Corp's services visit www.alpharecoverycorp.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180831005424/en/
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[August 31, 2018] UPDATE - Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. Receives Significant Purchase Order from Manus VR
DRAPER, Utah, Aug. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. ( FLXT ) is pleased to announce it has recently received multiple, follow-on production orders from global market virtual reality leader, Manus VR . The orders, totaling $45,000, are expected to be delivered during the current quarter. Flexpoint anticipates future orders continuing to grow in size and frequency.
Manus VR and their award-winning technology will be at the forefront of this fast-growing industry. We look forward to being an essential partner with them as interest in their technology accelerates, commented Paul Sexauer, Flexpoints Vice President of Sales and Marketing. The Manus VR glove offers a revolutionary new VR experience by tracking hands in real-time. Manus VR is the worlds leading company for data gloves and is one of the few companies that measure the orientation of your hand which allows full finger tracking. The glove is completely wireless and along with Flexpoints sensors includes other technology partners. The product provides plugins for many of the major platforms. The Manus VR gloves bring solutions for VR simulations, motion capture, robotics and healthcare. The B2B market has seen the value and has proven to be more rapid than expected. Established in 2016, Manus VR successfully brought to market a feature-rich glove offering. The glove integrates a number of technologies into a unique and truly inspired design. Manus VR has further realized their vision in supplying the industrys finest components that integrate with various hardware platforms offered by such notable companies as HTC, Vicon, Xsens and others. Some of their more recent, visionary partners include ESI Group and WorldViz .
Flexpoint is proud to be fully integrated into the virtual reality product from a prestigious firm like Manus VR. Sexauer further commented, We continue to cherish and support what has become a long-term business partnership that is mutually beneficial. This relationship grows stronger as we continue to enhance and improve the technology. This validates and reinforces our unique position in the rapidly evolving VR market. VR/AR will be an $80 billion market by 2025 according to Goldman Sachs. By comparison the TV market is $99 billion, the tablet PC market is $63 billion and the video game industry is $11 billion.
In addition to the gloves, Manus VR has developed a software development platform (SDK) that enables customers like those named above to design and build applications that extend far beyond virtual reality. This opens up a strong portion of the market that includes manufacturing, retail, healthcare, engineering, military and real estate applications. Please visit http://www.flexpoint.com/ for more information or https://manus-vr.com/. About Manus VR The Manus VR glove will revolutionize the VR market. It is set to play a huge role in the virtual reality revolution. Manus VR believes in open innovation through sharing knowledge and experience. The possibilities of the Manus VR gloves are virtually endless and extend far beyond virtual reality. In October 2014, Manus VR was selected from 10,000 candidates who took part in the Dutch StartupBootcamp HighTechXL, together with eleven other participants. The program helped Manus VR accelerate and build the business in just three months. After the programs Demo Day in February 2015, the company signed up leading development partners and clients. Furthermore, it was fully funded at record speed, enabling the company to further develop the product.
Since developing the first working prototype in 2014, Manus VR has been a fast-growing company. It has grown around 300% and developed a functioning product in combination with a strong development platform. About Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (FLXT) is an innovative technology firm specializing in developing products that feature the Company's patented Bend Sensor and related technology. The Bend Sensor is a groundbreaking sensing solution that is revolutionizing applications in the automotive, safety, medical and industrial industries. The Bend Sensor single-layer, thin film construction cuts costs and mechanical bulk while introducing a range of functions and stylistic design possibilities that have never before been available in sensing technology. Flexpoint's technology and expertise have been recognized by the world's elite business and academic innovators for over 17 years. The company is setting a new standard for sensing solutions in the "smart" age of technology. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that certain statements in this release are "forward-looking statements" and involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such uncertainties include, among others, certain risks associated with the operation of the company described above. The Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. Contact Information Flexpoint Sensor Systems
Clark Mower, President
801-568-5111 Brokers and Analysts
Chesapeake Group
410-825-3930
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Apple might be planning to use OLED and LCD this year in its new iPhones, but in the future, we might see the company turn to MicroLED.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Apple this week attended a display conference in Taiwan where the company held meetings with at least two companies about MicroLED technology, Economic Daily News is reporting, citing sources. The company also discussed MiniLED at the show, according to the report, which was earlier covered by BGR.
Currently, OLED is widely considered best overall screen technology. It's thin, delivers outstanding color and brightness, and can be bent and folded at will to create unique product designs. But many companies are excited about MicroLED, which can deliver similarly outstanding pictures but come with more efficient designs and the option to create screens both big and small with ease.
Indeed, MicroLEDs could present a major opportunity for Apple. And at least on the design side, the thinner and lighter MicroLEDs could help the company build a new iPhone design.
The problem with MicroLED, however, is that it's difficult and costly to produce. And while many industry pundits see it as a viable alternative to OLED, for now, it's not even close to matching OLED technology in affordability and ease-of-manufacturing.
MORE: What Is MicroLED and When Can You Get It?
Still, a Bloomberg report this year said that Apple (and Samsung) are bullish on MicroLED. That report said Apple has developed a secretive facility in California where it's researching MicroLED and identifying opportunities to bundle the technology in future products. It's still unknown when we can expect to see MicroLED come to iPhones.
Of course, Apple isn't talking about MicroLED or any plans for the future. But look for much more on this in the coming months and years as Apple continues to see what all the fuss is about with MicroLED.
Updated 5:42 pm ET with additional confirmation.
BERLIN Google wont release its own smartwatch this year, despite months of rumors to the contrary, the company confirmed to Toms Guide on Aug. 31 in an interview and then separately in a phone call.
The new Wear OS Proactive Assistant view, as seen on Skagen's new smartwatch, shows relevant information at a glance.
Instead, Google will focus on improving Wear OS and working with smartwatch makers, including Fossil, Casio and others showing off new Wear OS watches this week at IFA.
Speculation about a Pixel Watch, which would be Googles version of the ideal Wear OS smartwatch, has run rampant in recent months, with many wondering if the Wear OS upgrade announcement at IFA this week was a signal that the company is gearing up for a smartwatch reveal at its October hardware event.
Miles Barr, Google's director of engineering for Wear OS, said Friday during an interview that Google has no plans to release a smartwatch this year.
To think of a one-size-fits-all watch, I dont think were there yet, Barr said. Our focus is on our partners for now.
MORE: Best Smartwatch - Top-Rated Watches for iPhone, Android
Following our interview, we reached out to Google and a PR representative confirmed that the company would not be releasing a watch of its own this year.
For now, Google works with companies who make Wear OS devices to approve designs and suggest new features, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future rather than make its own watch. The reason youre seeing a slew of new Android watches with heart rate sensors and NFC chips? Google saw what smartwatch buyers were looking for and advised Wear OS device makers to add those features.
But the company doesnt want to develop its own hardware at least not yet because there isnt one perfect watch for every person, Barr said. Some watches are aimed at fitness enthusiasts, while others are focused more on design. Few watches nail the combination of the two.
Google hasnt quite dreamed up a smartwatch that could be all things to all people (or even most things to most people). But Barr hinted at what his ideal Pixel Watch could include.
Our Google Pixel line of phones is the best experience and Googles take on it, so I imagine we would focus heavily on the [Google] Assistant to integrate AI and machine learning into the device, which is Googles forte, Barr said.
Whats Next for Wear OS
Google Assistant is at the forefront of the Wear OS software update rolling out to watches in the next month, with a proactive screen that displays the information you need for the upcoming day, week or even month, depending on how you use Google Assistant and what information Google learns from your usage of its other services.
Health and fitness features are a priority for Google for future Wear OS updates.
For instance, a flight youre taking next week would show up in the proactive glance, which is accessible by swiping right on the watch face. Google could learn about that flight from a trip confirmation in Gmail. The company is focused on making that experience even better, as well as adding useful fitness features, such as glanceable workout rings so you can see your activity progress for the day, automatic workout-tracking and new ways to measure your fitness rather than the 10,000-step goal that doesnt mean much.
MORE: The 37 Best Things Google Assistant Can Do
Google is fixing a lot of the problems Ive had with Wear OS watches with the proactive glance and easily accessible fitness features, which are all just a swipe away in the software update rolling out soon. But the biggest problem is performance: Many Android watches are built around a 2-year-old processor that often lags when accessing information or opening an app.
The Wear OS update works to solve performance issues with quick-glance screens, so you dont have to dig into the app menu to open Google Fit, for example. Now its just a swipe away.
The next big project for Google is improving smartwatch battery life. Another software upgrade early next year will address that, Barr said, using many of the same strategies Google relies on to optimize battery life for Android phones.
"The doze mode, like in Android, will power things down when the watch is less active, when youre interacting with it less, Barr said. The most extreme example is when I take it off and it powers down the radios and things like that, which lowers the power consumption. It will turn off the screen. Similarly to how in main Android, [were] using machine learning to optimize when it runs different processes to minimize power usage.
Dont consider the feature-packed upgrade Wear OS 3.0, though.
We want to move away from version numbers, Barr said. Version numbers led us into a trap where we can only update once a year. Wear OS experience is evolving, and this is the start of that evolution. We want to keep rolling out improvements on a regular basis so users arent pent up waiting.
By now, most people know their browsing history, online transactions and digital communications are monitored by tech companies hoping to use that information to sell ads. No firm is better at that than Google; the company built a technological empire on a foundation of personal data. This week, Google's ad practices faced a pair of blows with two new causes for scrutiny brought to light.
First Blow: Mastercard Deal
News of a Mastercard deal arrived courtesy of Bloomberg this week, providing a stark reminder that tech companies can also collect information about what people do offline, too. The outlet reported that Google had since 2017 offered some of its ad partners access to "a potent new tool to track whether the ads they ran online led to a sale at a physical store in the U.S." It was able to connect those dots by combining the data it gathers online with transaction history from two billion Mastercard holders. The intent was clear: Google wanted to convince its partners that its ads were more effective than previously expected because they lead to real-world purchases.
Google is said to have paid Mastercard "millions of dollars" for access to this data, and the companies are also thought to have discussed sharing the ad revenues, but a Google spokesperson denied the existence of such a revenue-sharing agreement. Another spokesperson told Bloomberg that it "built a new, double-blind encryption technology that prevents both Google and our partners from viewing our respective users personally identifiable information." Mastercard also said it's only providing aggregate data, not individual transactions, as part of the partnership.
Yet, that requires consumers to take Google and Mastercard at their word regarding the privacy of their personal info. Many of those people didn't even know Mastercard was selling transaction data to companies like Google. Online tracking has largely been accepted, and many people have also grown accustomed to retailers collecting data via rewards programs, or even simply asking for email addresses or ZIP codes at checkout. But who wants to ditch their card and pay with cash just to make sure they aren't contributing to this jerry-rigged panopticon?
Second Blow: A Letter to FTC
The same day Bloomberg published its report, Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging it to open a new antitrust probe into Google. Hatch's concerns reach back to the FTC's decision in 2010 to allow Google to buy AdMob and extend to recent complaints from numerous senators regarding Android's data policies. Hatch explained in his letter that all of these complaints are connected by Google's search dominance:
"Although these reports concern different aspects of Google's business, many relate to the company's dominant position in search and accumulating vast amounts of personal data. That is why I also write to urge the [FTC] to reconsider the competitive effects of Google's conduct in search and digital advertising. As I explained in a speech last year, the procompetitive aspects of conduct should be weighed against its anticompetitive potential. I have no doubt that the career staff, you and the other new FTC commissioners can and will do that here. In the past, Google has offered arguments that its conduct is procompetitive. And Google does have a long track record of providing valuable services and making important, innovative contributions. But much has changed since the FTC last looked at Google's conduct regarding search and digital advertising."
Google is no stranger to complaints like this. It has repeatedly come under scrutiny from various regulators for using its dominance in online search for its own benefit while also stifling competitors. Yet, previous investigations from the FTC have cleared the company of wrongdoing--at least partly because it was too hard to prove malicious intent even if it seemed obvious (it probably didn't hurt that Google executives met with FTC heads, President Barack Obama and other government figures roughly once a week during the first five years of the Obama administration).
But a lot of time has passed since then, and Hatch is hoping that the new FTC leadership will take another look at Google. With increasing concerns about Android's data collection, Google's continued leadership with many of its online services and reports like Bloomberg's into secretive efforts to further expand its ability to monitor human behavior to sell more ads, it's not hard to see where Hatch is coming from.
At IFA in Berlin, Lenovo expanded its Yoga series with a new 2-in-1, a Windows on Snapdragon (WOS) machine and, surprisingly, a non-convertible clamshell. Its all part of an effort that shows Lenovo making Yoga its flagship consumer brand, rather than just a name for 2-in-1s. If you want something lower-priced, go for an IdeaPad. For something premium, its a Yoga. Even if it doesn't bend back.
Lenovo Yoga C930
The Yoga Book C930 takes the premium 2-in-1 spot in the lineup. Starting at $1,399.99 when it releases in October. It eschews Lenovos watchband hinge in favor of a Dolby Atmos soundbar that rotates a long with the display. The HDR touchscreen displays (in either FHD or UHD) feature Dolby Vision HDR. The stylus fits into a small garage on the back of the laptop, which makes it difficult to lose. And it uses Intels Kaby Lake R 8th Gen processors.
CPU 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U or Core i5-8250U RAM Up 10 16GB DDR4 Storage Up to 2TB PCIe SSD Display 13.9-inch, IPS, FHD or UHD touchscreen with Dolby Vision Ports 1x USB 3.1, 2x Thunderbolt 3 Other Built-in stylus, far-field microphone, fingerprint reader Starting Price $1,399.99
Lenovo Yoga S730
Then theres the Yoga S730, perhaps the most surprising Yoga device we've seen to date. Thats because its doesnt actually fold over backwards as you'd expect given the name. This $999.99 model is the first Yoga weve seen thats a standard laptop, so the name is a big of a misnomer. This one uses Intels newly-announced Whiskey Lake 8th Gen U-series chips.
CPU 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8565U or Core i5-8265U RAM Up to 16GB DDR4 Storage Up to 1TB PCIe SSD Display 13.3-inch FHD IPS Ports 2x Thunderbolt 3, 1x Type-C Other Fingerprint reader Starting Price $999.99
Last but not least, theres also the Lenovo Yoga 630 WOS, one of the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 850-based based laptops weve seen. The Yoga 630 WOS will release in October, and it will run Windows 10 S out of the box. Lenovo claims that it can last up to 25 hours on a video playback test. $849.99 for the starting configuration with 4GB of RAM, seems high, though.
CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 RAM Up to 8GB Storage Up to 256GB UFC 2.1 Display 13.3-inch FHD IPS touchscreen Ports 2x USB Type-C, SIM card slot Other Fingerprint reader Starting Price $849.99
Lenovo's other announcements include a new Yoga Book with an e-ink display and the ThinkPad X1 Extreme.
Story updated 5:23 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018: TOPEKA - Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has joined with officials from 15 other states in a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to declare that transgender workers are not protected under federal workplace anti-discrimination laws. The states, led by Nebraska, are asking the court to overturn [...]
KC officials detail landlord's alleged infractions in letter to HUD Long-suffering residents of a Northland apartment complex say they may get some relief after a thorough inspection of the property. Last month investigators with several Kansas City agencies, including Neighborhoods and Housing Services, Fire Prevention and the Health Department made a surprise inspection at the Englewood Apartments on Northwest Waukomis.
This one is important for a lot of reasons but mostly because it shows that subsidized housing struggle is rampant across the metro and, certainly, across the bridge . . . Read more:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Broadway Boulevard is one of the busiest streets in Kansas City, Missouri, but it could be narrowed to just two travel lanes with a turning lane to accommodate the addition of bicycle lanes in both directions.
New Governor's race poll in Kansas shows a DEAD HEAT. New polling data released by PPP polling today through the Kansas National Educators Association shows the Kansas race in a dead heat. The data released today shows a dead heat - with Laura Kelly & Kris Kobach running neck and neck at 39....
PPP is always wrong in these Kansas contests but that doesn't stop hopeful Democratic Party loyalists from touting the fake news numbers.The reality is that the race would be close and interesting if Orman wasn't splitting the vote in favor of the Kansas right-wing SecState.Take a look:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Wyandotte County commissioners approved funding for a Conviction Integrity Unit Thursday night. The specialized unit's purpose is to identify wrongful convictions. The proposal was spearheaded by Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree. He hit a roadblock last month when the Board of Commissioners said there was no money in the budget for such a unit.
You can have five or a hundred good ideas, but really it does all come down to one.
Recently, while one of eight speakers at a Drawdown buildings and Cities summit in Toronto, I noted that Paul Hawkens 100 things to do was too much; I narrowed it down and wrote about it in TreeHugger: Five, just five, solutions to roll back greenhouse gas emissions.
That was my pitch in my presentation, but then there was a question and answer period after, and the last question, addressed to all of us panelists sitting up at the front was pretty much What is the single biggest impediment to doing anything about climate change?
There was consensus from everyone there: politics. The conservative denial that climate change exists, or if it exists, there is nothing that can be done about it, or basically what it comes down to: our voters dont want to pay for it. They like things the way they are if they have money and the way things were if they dont.
It was very personal to most of the speakers; a new Government was elected in the Province of Ontario in June, and the new Premier, Doug Ford, immediately cancelled Cap and Trade, rebates on electric cars and just about every energy saving program he could find. A few of the speakers are going to have a lot less work trying to fix this province. But Ford was elected because of anger at high electricity and fuel prices.
At the federal level, the Leader of the Opposition is running on much the same platform: Fossil fuels are wonderful- he is complaining that Prime Minister Trudeau didnt sing the praises of oil loudly enough, and actually calls the Alberta Tar Sands the cleanest, most ethical, environmentally-friendly energy in the world. This is possibly the next Prime Minister of Canada.
Toronto Star /Screen capture
In Australia, the Prime Minister was just dumped by his party because of climate change. According to the Washington Post via the Toronto Star,
Turnbull wanted a plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to be enshrined in law as part of Australias agreement at the UN climate conference held in Paris in December 2015. Members of his party who prefer coal power stations over subsidies for wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy threatened to vote against the plan in Parliament, triggering a political crisis that rapidly escalated into two leadership challenges.
And dont lets forget that there is some serious climate denial happening in the United States right now. It is happening everywhere, even in the richest country in the world, the one with all the smart scientists. A long article in the New York Times suggests that our old friend Myron Ebbell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute along with Americans for Prosperity changed the discourse in the USA back in 2008, but that is simplistic; as the Atlantic points out, there was opposition to dealing with energy issues and pollution back in Ronald Reagans days- he famously even said "Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do. This has been happening forever. It is fundamental.
So why is this happening? On MNN I have written about the demographics of baby boomers and their aging parents; they predominantly live in the suburbs in single family houses, so the costs of heating, air conditioning and driving directly affects them. Ever since the Great Recession of a decade ago, money has talked a lot more loudly than the environment. (It always talked more loudly but in 2008 the din became overwhelming.) There may now be more millennials than boomers, but they dont turn out to vote, giving us Brexit and Trump.
Or if you read Vaclav Smils Energy and Civilization, you learn how absolutely fabulous fossil fuels have been at delivering wealth. He wrote:
By turning to these rich stores we have created societies that transform unprecedented amounts of energy. This transformation brought enormous advances in agricultural productivity and crop yields; it has resulted first in rapid industrialization and urbanization, in the expansion and acceleration of transportation, and in an even more impressive growth of our information and communication capabilities; and all of these developments have combined to produce long periods of high rates of economic growth that have created a great deal of real affluence, raised the average quality of life for most of the worlds population, and eventually produced new, high-energy service economies.
It has made every one of us sloppily richer than our ancestors; as Andrew Nikiforuk wrote in his book The Energy of Slaves: Oil and the New Servitude, we have become totally spoiled by our oil slaves, but that it is really hard to get give up on them. As I wrote in my review of the book in Corporate Knights magazine:
Nikiforuk concludes that we have to reduce our energy consumption by changing our lifestyles in a radical decentralization and relocalizing of energy spending combined with a systematic reduction of the number of inanimate slaves in our households and places of work. It all comes down to the argument we are seeing played out in the streets of our cities every day now. In this regard, Nikiforuk quotes Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich:
Each community must choose between the bicycle and the car, between a postindustrial labor-intensive, low-energy and high-equity economy and the escalation of capital-intensive institutional growth that would lead to a hyperindustrial Armageddon.
Good luck with that; we can see what communities are choosing. People, especially older people who love their cars and the benefits of a booming economy, are willing to overlook whats coming down the road. Hey, it might well not happen, or science might solve it, or I wont be around to worry about it. They will vote every time for the guy who offers them tax cuts, economic booms, cheap gas and a buck-a-beer.
Some of the panellists suggested that the only thing that will turn this ship around is some catastrophe that shocks everyone into awareness. I doubt that; we have seen Superstorm Sandy, Puerto Rico, the wall to wall forest fires burning now; thats not climate change, according to the American secretary of the Interior its the fault of environmental terrorists and spotted owls.
Recently, the Prime Minister of Samoa complained about politicians who didnt take climate change seriously, quoted in the Guardian:
Any leader of those countries who believes that there is no climate change I think he ought to be taken to mental confinement, he is utter[ly] stupid and I say the same thing for any leader here who says there is no climate change.
Alas, they are not utterly stupid. They have their polls and focus groups and they know who their voters are and what they want now, which is to keep things the way they are, make things the way they were, and throw in a nice new SUV.
The only thing that will save us is political change, and thats up to the young people who have enough time left in their lives to be seriously invested in this issue. I noted in an earlier post, titled Climate change is a disaster for millennials, an inconvenience for the boomers:
The younger generations that are going to get screwed by climate change the most are the ones that should be organizing now. This is not the defining issue of my generation. But it is of theirs.
Young men and women who dont have suburban houses and good jobs and SUVs, who get mad, show up and vote them out of office. Thats the number one thing we have to do. Everything else is commentary.
editorial@tribune.com
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 30
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of implementing the note ban to help a handful of crony capitalist friends to convert black money into white.
In a blistering attack on the PM, Gandhi said demonetisation was not a mistake; it was PMs deliberate move to hurt people and help Indias top industrialists who have huge non-performing assets.
People apologise when they make mistakes. PM did not make any mistake. He demonetised the currency deliberately. His target was to help Indias biggest crony capitalists get back the money they have been spending in marketing him. The PM wanted to see how to help industrialists because of whom he appears on the television daily. Crony capitalists market the PM; the PM snatches peoples money and gives it to these capitalists. It is simple, Gandhi said answering queries on whether he wanted the PM to say sorry for the failure of note ban.
editorial@tribune.com
Ishrat S Banwait
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 31
A local court on Friday sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the remainder of their natural life for the gang rape of a 22-year-old Dehradun girl in November last year. The judgment expressed concern at the city becoming unsafe, observing that every woman would think uncountable times before stepping outside after sunset even for important tasks.
The three convicts Mohammad Irfan (28), Mohammad Garib (21) and Kismat Ali (21) were held guilty of gang rape and criminal intimidation. They were also directed to pay a fine of Rs 2.05 lakh each of which Rs 2 lakh each will go to the victim as compensation. Stating how the crime was planned and not impulsive, the judgment said the convicts deserved no leniency. The victim, originally from Dehradun, stayed in a rented accommodation in Mohali and was returning home from her typing classes in Sector 37 at night. She boarded the auto-rickshaw, which already had the three accused, including the driver, in it. The auto driver reportedly drove towards a forest area in Sector 53, where the three allegedly raped her.
Mothers who have given birth to such beasts unfortunate
Observing the plight of mothers of the convicts, the judgment said, Unfortunate are the mothers who have given birth to such beasts and keep them close to their bosom with the hope that they will be the saviours of their future. It went on to say, Little did they know that they are giving birth to such beasts who will not only bring a bad name to the family but also society at large.
The judgment observed how the city and its public transport had become unsafe for independent women. A woman who steps out to earn her livelihood has become the victim of none else but persons running public transport in which the entire public has full faith, said the judgment.
It added, The incident has sent shivers not only down the spine of the female class but the city as a whole. Quoting the 2016 National Crime Records Bureau data, the judgment pointed out to a 12 per cent rise in rapes as compared to an increase in crime against women, which stands at 3 per cent. With two cases of rape being reported every hour in 2017, the judgment observed that Chandigarh is not left behind Delhi.
Victim suffered physical, emotional trauma
The order also shed light on the trauma and suffering of the 22-year-old girl, which cannot be overlooked. The judgment observed, She has suffered not only physical assault but has been emotionally traumatised too. However, the victim was brave to have fought her case despite the fact that the incident would adversely affect her psychology forever, it added.
The court thus observed that any mercy for the convicts would be misplaced and would be a mockery of justice. For having sexually ravished the girl and leaving her in a pathetic state, the judgment intends to send a proper signal to society. It added, Even if in this case the accused are not reformed, others like them will be deterred.
The judgment also talks about the convicts observing that they have least respect for law. It went on to say that as per the facts of the case, they do not have potential of reformation. It added that were not only enjoying the act of sexual assault but also the helplessness of the victim.
Court raps boastful cops
The judgment rapped the police for not checking mushrooming of auto-rickshaws. It said, The capital of two good states boasts of excellent police patrolling, but the incident has sent shivers down the spine.... It said autos were going unchecked and it was high time the police kept a check on these.
How the case progressed
2017
Nov 17 22-year-old raped by three men who were in an auto-rickshaw she boarded
Nov 24 3 accused arrested 2018
Feb 21 Police file challan
Apr 23 Court frames charges against three accused
May 9 Victim records statement in court
May 23 Police file supplementary challan; DNA of all three accused matches with that of the victim.
Aug 21 Trial in the case ends
Aug 27 3 accused held guilty
Aug 31 All three sentenced to life term for the remainder of their natural life
All convicts live in Zirakpur & are UP natives
Mohammad Garib (21), Labourer
Had nothing to say to court
Married, no kids, has two brothers and two sisters
Mohammad Irfan (28), Auto driver
Did nothing, told court
Married, has two sons and two daughters
Kismat Ali (21): Labourer
Teary-eyed, the only one who looked remorseful, told the court, I have been falsely implicated; Irfan brought me saying lets go out to eat and drink. I was not aware of anything.
Married, no kids, has one brother and one sister, who is physically challenged
Told to pay a fine of Rs 2.05 lakh each
The convicts have been directed to pay a fine of Rs 2.05 lakh each of which Rs 2 lakh each will go to the victim as compensation. Stating how the crime was planned and not impulsive, the judgment said the convicts deserved no leniency. It added, The trauma of the victim cannot be overlooked.
editorial@tribune.com
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 31
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held as arbitrary a condition that allows students even from outside to become eligible for the UT quota in medical admissions after passing the Class XII examination from institutes situated in Chandigarh and recognised by it without insisting on residence as an essential eligibility condition. The UT has been directed to take a decision within two months, making it applicable from the next session.
The Bench of Justice Mahesh Grover and Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu also made it clear that a candidate could seek the benefit of residence in only one state. The candidates who have sought the benefit of residence in any other state will be debarred from claiming seats in any other states/UT, Chandigarh. The admitting authorities will, therefore, scrutinise the cases of all incumbents and whosoever has opted and claimed the benefit of residence in any other state will not be entitled to admission in the UT, Chandigarh, the Bench asserted.
The ruling came on five writ petitions by Ashu Hooda and other petitioners. Chandigarh has to its share 77 MBBS seats at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. Of these, 63 are left for the general category. The petitioners claimed Chandigarh had not provided criteria for residence as one of the eligibility conditions and merely restricted eligibility to candidates passing Class XII from Chandigarh. The Bench said a person, who had resided and studied in Chandigarh was denied benefit in college and school in the UT on account of his residential status, while exposing him to unfair competition and opening seats to what we may term as poaching.
The Bench said the condition had the potential of worming into the claims of students who had studied in Chandigarh almost altogether. Terming it a double whammy for them, the Bench said they were left to compete only against 15 per cent all-India quota.
Children from other states, meanwhile, competed in 15 per cent quota also while being safely ensconced in their home states. The clause was, as such, clearly arbitrary as it did not take into consideration the aspect of residence which frustrated the very concept of seat allocation to the UT pool.
The Bench asserted that the non-inclusion of residence clause probably kept the window open for the people of Punjab and Haryana to gain access to higher education in Chandigarh and their own states. Chandigarh residents, on the other hand, did not have the advantage of claiming preference on the basis of residence in Punjab and Haryana and were deprived of it in Chandigarh as well. The Bench added that it could not, in exercise of powers of judicial review, declare the provision in its existing form to be in conflict with law simply because it would have been eminently desirable to include a clause of preference based on the resident status for Chandigarh.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com
Amit Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 30
The NSUI poster boy for the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) elections is a proclaimed offender (PO) in a carjacking case registered in Patiala. Pankaj Jakhar, the NSUI president and a close aide of gangster Sampat Nehra, is campaigning for the party at the university for the past at least one month and the UT and Punjab Police are caught napping.
Pankaj, along with Nehra and others, was booked in a carjacking case registered at the Patiala Urban Estate police station in 2016. He was declared as a PO by the court of Dharminder Paul Singla, Additional Sessions Judge, Patiala, on March 30 this year after he failed to appear before the court.
Surprisingly, Pankaj is actively participating in the PU polls despite police presence on the university campus. His posters dot the campus. On Thursday, Pankaj, a native of Bhiwani in Haryana, was present at the Student Centre, which is buzzing with poll activity.
He has also been taking meetings of party workers and openly roaming around in a white Verna bearing a Haryana number.
When contacted, Pankaj feigned ignorance that he had been declared a PO. I suffered a leg injury at home on Divali last year. I was hospitalised and treated at the PGI, Rohtak, following which I could not attend the court hearings. Later, I submitted relevant documents in the court to justify my absence and attended the court hearings thereafter, he added.
However, the last court order dated August 6 in the case mentioned Pankaj as PO. The next date of hearing in the case is scheduled for September 4.
It is a complete failure of the police intelligence that a PO is roaming free on the PU campus, said a PU student leader on the condition of anonymity.
Gangster Nehra and Pankaj know each other since their college days. The duo, along with others, has been accused of beating up the driver of a taxi they had hired and driving off the vehicle. The case is still in court.
Nehra was arrested by the Haryana Police at Hyderabad in June this year. He had had more than two dozen criminal cases pending against him in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Chandigarh.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 30
The Grievance Redressal Cell of Panjab University (PU) on Thursday sent the case of Sachin Galav, who has filed candidature from the National Students Union of India (NSUI), for opinion from senior advocate Anupam Gupta, as charges are framed against him in a fight case.
Galav is from the Gurjot Singh faction of the NSUI and was expected to stand for the presidents post. He, along with three others, is facing trial for voluntarily causing hurt (section 323 of the IPC) and for acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention (section 34 of the IPC).
It is a fake case. A PU committee had given me the clean chit. This case was registered during the Aghaaz function last year when an outsider had complained against me, Pradeep Gujjar, Gurjot Singh and Yadwinder. The authorities are biased. They have favoured the Students Organisation of India (SOI) presidential candidate Iqbal Preet Singh, who is facing serious charges, said Galav.
Iqbal Preet Singh is a student of the Centre for Human Rights and Duties. He is a graduate from SD College, Sector 32. In 2016-17, he was the students president at SD College. In March 2017, he was named in a group fight in the college and a case allegedly for voluntarily causing hurt, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon and wrongful restraint. However, the trial is yet to start in his case, so his candidature has been cleared.
When a query about him was made from the Centre for Human Rights and Duties, his MA II semester result was found to be unavailable. However, he has passed his MA I semester. Clearing his case, the redressal grievance committee said since there was no reappear case in the available result, Iqbal Preet Singh could contest the election.
The grievance cell also cleared the case of Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) leader Ravinder Bir Singh, who is doing BDS at the Dental Department. He is expected to fight on the presidents post.
Meanwhile, Ravinder Bir Singh (24) has been claiming that for a postgraduate student, 25 years is the upper age limit and BDS is a five-year course so he should be allowed. Citing the case of the University Institute of Legal Studies, which has a 5-year law course and where age limit to contest is 25 years, Ravinder Bir Singhs case was also allowed.
There was an issue about the required attendance of Mehal Lal, who is from the Indian National Students Organisation, which is a students outfit of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). But it has been cleared. He has been provided attendance for his work in placement cell, said Vineet Sehrawat, INSO leader.
Highlights
SOI presidential candidate Iqbal Preet Singh has been asked to submit an apology as SOI supporters barged into a classroom of the Chemistry Department despite teachers objection.
Candidature of Department Representative candidate Gurjot Singh of the Chemical Engineering Department has been rejected. He is from the NSUI.
The PU failed to compile the list of candidates standing for the office-bearers posts as about 10-12 departments did not send the final lists.
Candidates for Presidents post
vermaajay1968@gmail.com
Our Correspondent
Kharar, August 31
Dharamjeet Kaur, a married woman living in Shivalik City, Kharar, was allegedly burnt alive by her in-laws after sprinkling kerosene on her over dowry.
The Kharar City police have booked her husband and in-laws on a charge of dowry death. A case under Section 304 B of the IPC has been registered against her husband Rupinder Pal Singh, brother-in-law Gurpreet Singh, father-in-law Ujjwal Singh, mother-in-law Harbhajan Kaur and two members of the family, Sarbjit Kaur and Manpreet Singh, residents of Shivalik City.
The deceaseds elder sister, Swaranjeet Kaur, who lives at Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, told the police that the victim got married to Rupinder Singh on May 26, 2013. They were five sisters and had no brother. Their parents had already died. She said at the time of the marriage, they gave sufficient dowry. About two and a half months ago, the victim came to Kullu and told her that she was being harassed by her in-laws and they were demanding more dowry.
The sisters sold their ancestral house in Kullu for Rs 32.50 lakh in August. A sum of Rs 1 lakh, which was received as earnest money, was given to the victim and she prepared an FDR of this amount. Later, she went to Kharar. The remaining amount was to be received on September 2. On August 29, the victim told her sister that her in-laws were annoyed with her and were demanding more money. On Thursday, she came to know that Dharamjeet Kaur was burnt alive by her in-laws.
Kharar City SHO Kanwaljit Singh and ASI Ashwani Kumar said as soon as they got information, the police reached the spot and initiated proceedings. The postmortem was conducted at the Civil Hospital, Kharar. The police have arrested the victims husband, Rupinder Pal Singh, and her father-in-law Ujjwal Singh. It has been learnt that the deceased was the niece of Sant Baba Sri Ram Ji of Gurdwara Manikaran Sahib and her marriage was arranged by Sant Baba Sri Ram Ji.
Ajai Sahni
Ajai Sahni
Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management
In February this year, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took a strong and principled stand during the Canadian Prime Minister's visit to Punjab. He first refused to meet with the latter on the grounds that his delegation included his defence minister, who Singh identified as a Khalistani sympathiser. Subsequently, pressured by the Centre, he used the meeting to speak unequivocally of the dangers of Khalistani extremism and Canada's unacceptable leniency with regard to Sikh extremist activities on and emanating from its soil. He also handed over a list of nine Canada-based Khalistani radicals, requesting action against them. Ottawa failed to act significantly on Singh's list, but the Chief Minister's courageous stand rightly won accolades from the nation.
In seeking to introduce a 'blasphemy law' in Punjab, however, Singh has exposed his government to ridicule, and to accusations of precisely the patterns of appeasement of which Canada is guilty. Sikh radicalisation is presently receiving increasing support from Pakistan and elements within the diaspora. Such efforts to conciliate the most aggressive, immoderate and narrow-minded religious constituencies in the state, can only prove counter-productive. There is already a rising tyranny of intolerance and intimidation across the country under the political dispensation at the Centre. Singh's party proclaims itself politically opposed to this ideological stream, and at this time should articulate a strong position in favour of constitutional freedoms and against polarising identity politics. Instead, it is gifting another weapon to the most bigoted elements in his State.
It is abundantly clear that this initiative is no more than symbolism to assuage radicals, and has nothing to do with any imperative of law or any deficit in existing provisions. Indeed, the State has found rare occasion to use existing provisions in the past, which collectively provide wide scope to cover all speech and acts that cause insult to any religion, or to promote enmity on the basis of religion, race, etc., and the even wider offence of imputations or assertions prejudicial to national integration.
Prescribing life imprisonment for 'sacrilege' is not just excessive, in this context, but also futile; the deterrent impact of law has more to do with the certainty and speed of punishment, rather than its quantum, and there is little possibility that justice administration is going to improve in any dramatic measure in the foreseeable future. In any event, after the desecration incidents of 2015, there has been no subsequent epidemic of such occurrences to suggest that harsher laws are an urgent imperative.
The rationale of the present action is misdirected populism, an effort to appropriate and expand the original legislation proposed by the precedent Akali Dal Government, which sought to bring acts of 'sacrilege' against the Granth Sahib under the enhanced penalty (legislation that was rejected by the Centre on grounds of discrimination). This is the corrosive pattern of competitive communalism that pushed Punjab into the tragedy of terrorism in the past, and that again threatens to intensify religious radicalism in the State. It is through such actions that the creeping erosion of secular and constitutional values occurs; it was through a comparable process that religious extremism took root and transformed into the virulent Khalistani movement, as political space was ceded in slow stages to the extremist constituency.
The drafting of the proposed bill is extraordinarily shoddy, hastily adding the Bible, Qur'an and Bhagwad Gita as objects of potential 'sacrilege', to the Granth Sahib (of the Akali draft). But what about texts and holy icons of the Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians and numberless primal indigenous faiths? Can we subject these to mutilation or contempt without inviting a comparable ire of law? And who decided that the Bhagwad Gita is the Hindu equivalent of the Bible, Quran or Granth Sahib? What of the Vedas? The Ramayana? The larger Mahabharata, of which the Gita is just a part? The more it seeks to pander to religious extremism, the more will the state become inextricably entangled in such absurdities. Crucially, the more the Congress leadership seeks to accommodate the extremist religious constituency, the more ground will it relinquish to political formations that are constructed primarily around communal identity.
There are more fundamental consequences involved. The most important is the destruction of the crucial distinction between 'respecting religions' and state endorsement of religious bigotry and motivated disruption (the latter is what manifested itself in the orchestrated violence following the 2015 'sacrilege' incidents). This is the culmination of the progressive privileging of religious discourse and its exclusion from rational review or restraint. Far more than any purported act of 'sacrilege', it is the abuse and exploitation of religion by bigots, charlatans and political opportunists that has brought faith into contempt.
Already, every commentary or film that touches on a subject remotely connected to religion is routinely subjected to intimidation, vandalism, blackmail and violence. Not only has the scope of rational discourse and reform of religion diminished, every religious order appears to be experiencing a regression to primitive and violent interpretations. In India's contemporary politics, religious crime and aggravation are increasingly rewarded, often by the state.
A range of religious 'traditions', moreover, have long been the source of great oppression and injustice. Demonstrative acts of protest by exploited and abused sections of society may well have a ring of blasphemy or sacrilege to them, at least in the eyes of the privileged orthodoxy. It is through such protests and critiques that religions have undergone reform across the world.
A restoration of sanity to the system can only be achieved through a renewal of secular constitutional values, and an unambiguous rejection of competitive communalism and the related criminalisation of purported acts of 'blasphemy' and 'sacrilege'.
Salil Desai
Salil Desai
Author, Columnist
The stinging observation of the Supreme Court that dissent and protest are the safety valves of democracy is as heartening as the furore in the mainstream and social media over the arrest of five leading human rights activists and intellectuals for alleged Maoist links and for their purported role in the Koregaon Bhima violence, near Pune, in December, 2017.
Yet, it is utterly dismaying that for much of the middle class, urban India, it is much ado about nothing. Indeed, the reaction of the average middle-class Indian is one of scorn and contempt for bleeding hearts and educated troublemakers people like Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira. If truth be told, the city-bred, educated, middle-class Indian has no interest or patience with the nuances and processes of democracy.
Disillusioned with the corruption and messiness of politics, the Indian middle class was looking for quick-fix solutions in the guise of a messiah, which they found in Narendra Modi. Having elected him PM in 2014, the citizenry has been particularly lazy by promptly suspending the last vestiges of independent thinking and prefers to let him formulate and articulate what and who is 'national' or 'anti-national' - the ultimate litmus test of the country's welfare and interest.
And the Modi government has done just that by following the classic maxim 'call a dog mad and then shoot it'. On the one hand, the entire political opposition has been systematically vilified and discredited, while on the other hand, all kinds of dissenters, protestors, individuals and institutions that decry, criticise or agitate against the government, central or state, have been branded as leftists, liberals, 'sickulars', anti-nationals, 'tukde-tukde gang', Maoists or Naxals and bunched together as enemies of the state.
Such has been the impact of this sustained defamation that the middle class seems to have internalised the belief that a democratically elected government has the untrammeled right to crush dissent by fair means or foul. Furthermore, whether it is the extreme left or any political, social, economic thought and action even slightly left of centre, it is viewed with a hostility bordering on hatred by the middle class. Perhaps, it's time for the middle class to go back to the basics and educate themselves about the fuller meaning of democracy beyond casting their vote for the party and leader of their preference and electing a government.
Dissent is not sedition: Every citizen has a right to pursue and propagate his/her political ideology and oppose another party, another ideology and government in power, not just electorally but through all non-violent means within the ambit of the Constitution and law. Speaking against the government or the state or devising legal, political, tactical means to humble the state does not constitute sedition. Inciting people to resist the state, sympathising with or helping them also does not amount to a call to overthrow the elected government. While Maoists use violence and can rightly be accused of being anti-national, human rights activists and intellectuals who expose the state, its callousness, its crimes, its incompetence, its corruption, its intentions, its political ideologies, its misuse of power and try to empower those who cannot fight the state on their own, are actually staunch nationalists, because of their commitment to the downtrodden of this country and not blind loyalty to the all-powerful government.
Innocent until proven guilty: Mere accusation or arrest does not make anyone guilty. The charges need to be proven and backed by evidence. More importantly, since the legal process is long and winding, it would be a travesty of justice to not give the benefit of the doubt to the accused, especially in politically loaded cases, where there is the power of the state on the one side and vulnerable individuals on the other.
A party or a leader does not constitute the nation: Just as Indira was not India, Modi and the BJP, too, are not India. They might be in power in a huge majority of states and at the Centre currently, but, ultimately, the BJP is merely a political party and Modi just a democratically elected political leader who has to work within the bounds of the Constitution and uphold it. Similarly, an ideology - right or left wing - cannot define a nation or the idea of nationhood and one need not have any loyalty to either the BJP's cultural, majoritarian nationalism or to Marxism, Maoism or any other version of a leftist manifesto. All political parties, leaders and activists claim to fight on behalf of the people, but no one should be allowed to claim a monopoly on nationalism.
Democracy is not a smooth ride: Finally, the middle class needs to understand that it is the very tumult and tension of a democracy that ensure the freedom of its populace and maintain the balance in the political system. Any party or leader who becomes too powerful, turns authoritarian. So while we may completely disagree with the actions, thoughts and beliefs of individuals like the intellectuals and human rights activists arrested, they are performing the very critical function of keeping the state on its toes, questioning its functioning, challenging its power, flagging its injustices and raising the consciousness of the people to exercise their democratic rights. They are certainly neither enemies of the State nor of the country's progress.
shalender@tribune.com
Kashmir can heave a temporary sigh of relief after the Supreme Court deferred arguments on Section 35-A to early next year. The ostensible reason is to avoid precipitating matters ahead of panchayat elections scheduled to end in December. Why is the focus on Article 35-A when it was scrapping Article 370 that was the BJP agenda on the lines of the RSS philosophy of Ek Vidhaan, Ek Nishaan? Saner minds have always considered the `one nation, one law' notion too simplistic. The BJP found it the hard way when it had to tailor or downplay its anti-beef crusade outside the Hindi heartland.
The real reason for RSS-BJP honing in on Article 35-A is because it is considered the guiding spirit of Article 370. Knock it down and Article 370 becomes vulnerable. Superficially, Article 35-A stands on shaky legs - it was never placed before Parliament, children of women marrying men from outside the state do not inherit property and West Pakistani refugees are denied the rights and privileges enjoyed by the state's permanent residents. Its opponents are convinced that the road to solving the Kashmir issue lies through changing the demographic composition of the state, especially of the Valley, by persuading the apex court to strike down Article 35-A.
Even if Kashmir escapes another intense turmoil, consider the aftermath: over 40 subsequent Presidential Orders imperilled, possibly curtail the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission and, more important, could limit the Centre's control to just Defence, External Affairs and Communication. In other words, India not just walks back from its grand bargain with Kashmir but also the state subject laws notified in 1927 and 1932 which are not specific to Kashmir Valley but the demography of Jammu and Ladakh too could be compromised. If West Pakistani refugees and discrimination against some women marrying outside the state are the sticking points, other modus vivendi need to be explored. Article 35A has been in use for over 60 years and upsetting an established law is a recipe for complications that will be hard to contain.
editorial@tribune.com
Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, August 31
A district court has issued arrest warrant against six persons of Bhatla village, including the husband of the sarpanch, in a case of social boycott of Dalits by upper caste people of the village in June 2017.
The court had summoned the six persons identified as Ram Chander, Ram Singh, Jai Kishan, Leela, Sumer and Punit to appear as accused during the previous hearing in the case on August 3. However, they did not receive the summons. They also failed to appear in court on Friday.
The police had registered a case against seven persons under Sections 153A, 504, 505, 506 of the IPC and various Sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against seven persons Chander Fauji Pandit, Ram Chander, Ram Singh, Jai Kishan, Leela, Sumer and Punit (sarpanchs husband).
Later, the police filed challan against one of the accused, Chander Fauji Pandit, and gave a clean chit to the others. However, the court summoned the six other accused as well under Section 319 of the CrPC.
Issuing the orders on Friday, Additional Sessions Judge DR Chalia stated that the summons issued to the six persons for appearing in court have been received back un-served. It has been reported by Raju, chowkidar of the village, that the accused were not found at their houses. This court is of the view that the above-named accused are deliberately not appearing in court despite knowing the passing of the orders. Hence, this court is left with no other option but to issue warrants of arrests against them to be served through SP, Hansi.
Fixing the next hearing in the case on September 28, the court stated that in case orders are received back unexecuted, the executing officer would personally appear in court and explain the reasons.
editorial@tribune.com
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Palwal, August 31
Palwal, the southernmost part of the state, is on the way to become the most approachable district of Haryana soon.
It is getting ready to be linked with the state-of-the-art Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai expressway after becoming a source point of KGP and KMP expressways.
A meeting chaired by CR Rana, IAS (retd), adviser to the NHAI, discussed the progress of the project here recently.
He directed the officials to speed up the work regarding the acquisition of land. Around 197 hectares are to be acquired in the district and the department concerned has already issued notices for the acquisition and has sought objections from the land owners.
The 10-km-long stretch passing from the district will be on land of Akbarpur-Natol, Bighawali, Chandka, Meerka, Reewar, Mandkol and Pandri villages, said Deputy Commissioner Mani Ram Sharma.
He claimed that there would be no laxity in the matter of the project falling under his jurisdiction.
Construction work of the 1,250-km-long super expressway announced in April by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is expected to start in December and would be completed within three years, said the officials concerned.
Though the total project cost will be around Rs 1 lakh crore, the cost of the Delhi-Vadodara stretch will be Rs 60,000 crore. It will reduce distance between the national capital and Mumbai by at least 200 km. The total length of the expressway in Haryana which will cover Gurugram, Mewat and Palwal districts will be 80 km. Admitting that the work of land acquisition had started, Suresh Kumar, Project Director (NHAI), said that the project was expected to be completed in the given time.
Route
The expressway will cover Delhi, Gurugram, Mewat, Kota, Ratlam, Godhra, Vadodara, Surat, Dahisar and Mumbai.
Features
The upcoming corridor will have high-quality tarmac aimed at ensuring road safety and will offer a seamless driving experience at a speed between 80 kmph and 130 kmph.
KMP and KGP expressways
While the KGP (Eastern Expressway) linking Palwal and Sonepat via Ghaziabad is already functional, the 135-km-long KMP (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal) is expected to begin in October. The 50-km stretch between Palwal and Manesar is already operational.
editorial@tribune.com
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 30
The issue of loss of revenue worth crores due to reckless illegal mining by the powerful mining mafia in nexus with the police and government officials echoed in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday.
The issue was raised by Rakesh Pathania. Legislators, cutting across party lines, expressed concern over the illegal and unscientific mining on riverbeds, damaging water schemes, bridges and roads.
Replying to a debate, Industry Minister Vikram Singh sought suggestions and cooperation of the MLAs in checking illegal mining. I assure them that action will be taken against the violators, irrespective of political affiliations, as my endeavour is that the government gets revenue by way of regulated scientific mining, he said.
He assured the House that the suggestions of elected representatives would be incorporated in the Mining Policy as it was the collective responsibility of all, not just the government, to check illegal mining. We have registered an FIR against four persons, enhanced the penalty amount and ensured that flying squad, accompanied by the police, visit the mining sites to ensure compliance of rules, he said.
The minister also said Rs 80 crore had to be recovered from violators but with many moving court, the issue is hanging fire. A total of 117 sites have been auctioned and some more identified. We have also taken up the issue of demarcation of land in border areas of Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand so that there are no boundary disputes, the benefit of which is taken by the mafia, he said.
Pathania pointed out that 30-foot wide mining sites had become 300 feet and mining was being done at places other than the site leased out. Despite riverbed mining being banned, extraction is being done right there as rules are being violated with there being no fear of the law, he said. He alleged all this was being done due to the nexus between the police and mining officials and politicians.
He clarified that he was not against mining but it should be scientific and the income should go to the state exchequer and not the mafia. More than 500 truckloads of material, extracted from border areas in Kangra, are being taken to Amritsar illegally with no check, he said.
Members, including Ram Lal Thakur, Jagat Singh Negi, Paramjit Singh Pammi, Harshwardhan Chauhan, JR Katwal, Ravinder Dhiman and Satpal Raizada, suggested amendments to the Mining Policy in consultation with elected representatives, fixing prices of extracted material and identification of possible sites so as to provide income to people. They also demanded action against illegal mining which was causing extensive damage to roads, bridges and water schemes worth crores.
Satisfied with the reply and assurance given by the minister, Pathania withdrew his resolution.
editorial@tribune.com
Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 31
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a blessing if used with wisdom, was the crux of the Tribune inter-school debate 2018 Artificial Intelligence bane or boon organised at Loreto Convent School, Tara Hall, here Friday.
Advantages and inadequacy of artificial Intelligence were highlighted by school students during the debate in which 26 students from 13 schools shared their views and spoke on pros and cons of AI.
For the motion
Lauding AI as a major breakthrough, participants speaking in favour stressed that it reduced human error, made medical intervention and diagnosis more accurate, gave eye to the blind, life to handicapped and usage of drones and unmanned aircrafts reduced human casualties in battlefield. One of the participants said it was the biggest achievement of man which had made life easier and simple.
The best way to predict future was to develop AI as it was the most significant invention of man that optimised search engines, helped in data collection and interpretation, saved time, minimised human intervention in automobiles and made space explorations hi-tech.
Our mind has become treasure of information due to AI and robots are able to perform the tasks assigned by a human being. They have sensors to detect physical data from the real world such as light, heat, temperature, movement, sound, bump, and pressure, the students opined.
Against the motion
Speaking against the motion, the students were of the view that AI was terror in disguise, threat to humanity and if it overpowered human beings, it could spell doom for humanity. The AI techniques could be high-jacked and misused by unscrupulous elements like terrorists. It would squeeze jobs which did not augur well for a populous country like India where unemployment was a major problem. We are moving towards a world where robots would rule the roost and major breakthrough would allow robots to decide their own course, which would be disastrous, the participants said.
A country like India with 22 per cent population below the poverty line, cannot afford to invest on AI which lacks creativity, emotions and ethics. AI has made man lazy, and convenience oriented, adding to health hazards, some said.
Jury member Meenakshi F Paul exhorted students to use AI with wisdom and ethics and cited the example of youngsters joining hands to help flood victims in Kerala and stressed that there was no need to unduly get worried if there were devoted and intelligent youth with abiding faith in ethics.
The other judge, Ravinder Makhaik, said, AI is here to stay as humans would play with intelligence to get better and better. Today we are in a position to send unmanned spaceships to other planets to see whether there is any life, only because of the advancement in AI. However, the flipside of AI is that it is replacing human touch in relationships, he added.
Keep the human within you alive, was the message of Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap who was the chief guest on the occasion. Life is not about giving or losing but giving your best shot, he said asking the students to stay away from drugs. The Principal of Loreto Convent school, Tara Hall, was the guest of honour.
The students were judged on the basics of factual information, comprehension, persuasiveness, delivery and rebuttal.
Best School: Loreto Convent School, Tara Hall
shalender@tribune.com
Suhail A Shah
Anantnag, August 31
All relatives of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel abducted by militants from different parts of south Kashmir on Thursday evening were freed on Friday.
Militants at the same time released videos of those abducted appealing to the state Director General of Police to not harass the families of militants.
The abductions started on Wednesday evening from Tral in Pulwama district where a policemans son was taken away from his house.
The first abduction was carried out hours after Hizbul Mujahideen operation commander Reyaz Naikoos father was taken into police custody. Naikoo had then warned the police to release all relatives of militants within three days or face dire consequences. The arrest of Naikoos father coincided with the setting ablaze of at least three houses of militant families in Shopian, allegedly by security forces.
Those abducted included close relatives of some senior police officials, including at least two Deputy SPs, an SHO and a Sub-Inspector.
Naikoo announced their release via an audio message circulated over social media: We have released them for now, but the policemen should learn a lesson and be aware that we can harm their families at will.
He said the war was not against the policemen, but the militants were being pushed to take extreme steps. The next time we abduct their kin, they should know we cant keep them for long. And they know we have only one way of punishment, Naikoo said.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com
Anantnag, August 30
At least 10 persons were allegedly abducted by militants from south Kashmir late on Thursday and one of them, a policeman, was later released.
The other nine have been identified as close relatives of other policemen. Militants reportedly abducted a policemans son from Midoora village of Tral, another cops brother in Kakapora and a cop from Kangan in Pulwama. Sources said there were reports of abduction from Kulgam too. The policeman from Kangan was released after severe thrashing, a source said.
The abductions took place a day after houses of two militants were set ablaze allegedly by the forces and the father of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was arrested. OC
editorial@tribune.com
Suhail A Shah
Anantnag, August 30
A day after the killing of four policemen by militants in Shopian district, the south Kashmir region has remained on the edge with houses of militants torched allegedly by security forces and Hizb commanders father detained for questioning.
The four policemen were shot dead by militants at an automobile workshop in the Bongam area of Shopian district on Tuesday afternoon.
Hours later, houses of at least three militants were torched allegedly by security forces. Families of militants from Nazneenpora, Amshipora and Sedow villages in the district alleged that security forces raided their houses, ordered the inmates out and set the houses ablaze with gunpowder.
The fire was stopped from spreading by villagers who came out in huge numbers to help douse the flames, said the family of policeman-turned-militant Syed Naveed of Nazneenpora.
A police spokesperson said the allegations were being looked into. We are investigating and the findings will be shared, the spokesperson said.
During the night, the police raided the houses of Hizb commander Riyaz Naikoo and another top militant Lateef Tiger in Awantipora. Naikoos father and Tigers two brothers and father have been detained by the police.
They have not been arrested. They have been summoned for questioning, a police official from Awantipora said.
Naikoo in a recent video had warned people against taking part in the upcoming panchayat elections. We have bought hydrochloric and sulphuric acid for such people. They will be dealt with accordingly, Naikoo said.
Hunt on to trace cops abducted son
The police in Awantipora have launched a massive drive to trace Asif Rather, son of policeman Rafiq Ahmad, who was abducted from his house in Tral town. Rafiq works in the CID wing of the police and is posted in Srinagar. Local sources said Asif was abducted at gunpoint from his house when his father was not at home. Meanwhile, Asifs family has made a fervent appeal to the militants, pleading for his release. A video of the family making the appeal has gone viral on social media.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com
Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 31
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to January 2019 hearing on petitions against Article 35A of the Constitution after both the Centre and state of Jammu and Kashmir sought deferment citing law and order problem and preparations for local body elections in the state.
Added to the Constitution through a Presidential Order in 1954, Article 35A gives special rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and debars rest of Indians from acquiring immovable property, obtaining state government jobs and settling in the state. It denies property rights to woman marrying men from other states. This legal disability also applies to heirs of such women.
Besides, being violative of right to equality and certain other rights, Article 35A has been challenged on the ground that the President could not have amended the Constitution by an executive order without parliamentary approval and that it was to be a temporary provision.
Political parties in the militancy-hit state have been agitating against any possible move to scrap the controversial provision. The National Conference and CPI (M) have also moved the Supreme Court in support of Article 35A.
The deferment order came after Attorney-General KK Venugopal and Additional Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta told a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on behalf of the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government, respectively, that the case should be adjourned in view of rural and urban local body polls and law and order situation in the state.
Let the elections take place. We are told that there is a law and order problem, the Bench said posting the petitions against Article 35A to second week of January next year.
The Bench has already indicated that petitions challenging the validity of Article 35A of the Constitution will have to be finally decided by a Constitution Bench. First a three-judge Bench would take up the matter and decide if it needed to be referred to a five-judge Constitution Bench, CJI Misra had said on August 6.
On behalf of the state administration, Mehta said local body elections for the post of 4,500 sarpanchs and other local body posts would be held in eight phases between September and December. If the local body elections are not held, then a fund of Rs 4,335 crores meant for local bodies will lapse, Mehta said.
Though there was gender discrimination under Article 35A, it was not the right time to hear these petitions, the ASG said drawing the courts attention to the grim law and order situation in the state.
Terming the issue very sensitive, Venugopal said, A large number of paramilitary forces are there. Let the elections go on calmly and thereafter hear these petitions in January or March.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing some of the petitioners against Article 35A, said those who migrated to Jammu and Kashmir, did not get benefit of employment or admissions in medical and engineering colleges despite living there for 60 years.
On behalf of Ikkjut Jammu, an organisation which is opposed to Article 35A, advocate Ankur Sharma said, Article 35A creates an Islamic State on the secular territory of India and should therefore be declared unconstitutional.
The state government has maintained that the Supreme Court had already settled the issue by ruling that Article 370 of the Constitution had attained permanent status. It had cited two Constitution Bench verdicts delivered in 1961 and 1969, which upheld the Presidents powers under Article 370(1)(d) of the Constitution to issue constitutional orders.
But the Centre has been shying away from filing its response to spell out its stand on Article 35A. The Attorney-General had last year told the court that the government didnt want to file its affidavit in response to petitions against Article 35A.
rchopra@tribunemail.com
Lahore, August 31
India has invited Pakistani experts to visit the sites of its two hydropower projects on the Chenab river next month to address its concerns, but hinted at continuation of the work on them despite Islamabads objections, a senior Pakistani official has said.
After the conclusion of the two-day high-level bilateral talks on the Indus Waters Treaty, the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since Imran Khan became Prime Minister on August 18, a Pakistani official, on condition of anonymity, said India rejected Pakistans objections on the construction of the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul dam and 48 MW Lower Kalnai hydropower projects on the Chenab river.
India has hinted at continuation of the work on both the hydropower projects, he said.
The major breakthrough of the two-day talks held in Lahore is that India has agreed to get the project sites visited by our experts. Therefore, our team comprising experts will visit the sites in India by the end of next month, Pakistans Water Resource Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khawaja told Dawn newspaper.
During the visit, our experts will minutely examine the sites, construction in the light of the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and the objections raised by Pakistan, he added.
Earlier, both delegations reiterated their stance over construction of the projects. The Indian Water Commission led by Commissioner PK Saxena reviewed Pakistans objections minutely. It also presented its point of view.
It was mutually decided that both countries would separately prepare technical memorandums based on their point of view and possible solutions, the report said.
We think that we have succeeded in convincing India to address our issues since we dont want to see any disruption in the flows of our rivers by anyone under the IWT, he said.
Pakistan had made it clear that it would have no option but to appoint neutral experts and take the case to the International Court of Arbitration in case India failed to address its concerns which are genuine, an official said earlier.
According to an official privy to the meeting, Pakistans demands included reduction of the height of Pakal Duls reservoir up to five metres, maintenance of 40-metre height above sea level while making spillways gates of the Pakal Dul project, besides clarifying the pattern and mechanism for the water storage and releases and some technical concerns over design of the Lower Kalnai hydropower project.
India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory.
The water commissioners of Pakistan and India are required to meet twice a year and arrange technical visits to project sites and critical river headworks, but Pakistan had been facing a lot of problems in timely meetings and visits.
The last meeting of the Pakistan-India Permanent Indus Commission was held in New Delhi in March during which both the sides had shared details of the water flow and the quantum of water being used under the 1960 treaty.
The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers. However, there have been disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the treaty. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 31
The five human rights activists arrested by the Pune Police earlier this week were part of a conspiracy to spark of caste-riots across Maharashtra, the state's Additional Director-General of Police Parambir Singh told reporters here on Friday.
Defending police action against the five activists, Singh said they were arrested only after their links with the Maoists were clearly established.
The case was registered on January 8 about the incident on December 31, 2017, where hate speeches were delivered, Singh told reporters. He added that cases under several sections of the Indian Penal Code were filed for spreading hatred. "Almost all the accused were associated with Kabir Kala Manch, Singh said.
The former encounter specialist added that the Elgar Parishad at Bhima-Koregaon to mark the 200th anniversary of the defeat of the Marathas in the hands of the British "was a big controversy plotted by Maoist organisations. Singh said a terrorist organisation was also involved in the event.
According to Singh, the activists were actively involved in radicalising students from Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University and Mumbais Tata Institute of Social Sciences in order to get them go underground and join the Maoists.
Singh also read out excerpts from what he said were letters exchanged between Navlakha, Bharadwaj, activist Rona Wilson and advocate Surendra Gadling and their Maoist associates. Wilson, Gadling, professor Shoma Sen and activists Mahesh Raut and Sudhir Dhawale were arrested in June from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi.
The officer went on to say that they have seized thousands of letters between underground and over-ground Maoists. Some of the missives, according to him, were about arranging funds for procuring grenade launchers and ending "Modi-raj" with "a Rajiv Gandhi-type of assassination" to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
shalender@tribune.com
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 31
The Army today issued a fresh tender to procure 6.5 lakh new assault rifles, but with a key change in specifications the fourth such alteration since 2011 and second in 18 months.
Indian suppliers can also bid for the project, which can be undertaken in collaboration with foreign manufacturers. The Army now wants a 7.62x39mm rifle, a decision contrary to the one taken by the Ministry of Defence in January 2017 when it had cited changed operational philosophy to approve a 7.62x51mm rifle. A procurement process is currently on for 72,400 such rifles from foreign sources. A team of experts has checked out new rifles and is compiling a report, sources told The Tribune.
The new specifications would mean a lesser firing range and a different barrel from the 72,400 rifles the Army is already buying. At present, INSAS rifles (5.6x46mm) are being used, which is a three-decade-old design.
The Army has called in suppliers over the next fortnight and aims to issue a request for proposal (RFP) second stage of tender; first is request for information (RFI) by December.
In February, the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had okayed the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles from abroad and separately, the MoD invited Indian defence equipment makers to send in their bids to make 5.5 lakh rifles as per then specifications to fire a 7.62x51mm round. The new RFI means the previous one is held back.
In December last, a parliamentary committee headed by BJP MP Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd) had said: Rifles have been a cause for concern for the Army.
MoD flip-flops
2007 Indian Army decides to change its three-decade-old INSAS rifles with new hi-tech weapons
2011 First tender is issued for a dual-calibre rifle that allows two types of ammunition 7.62x39mm and 5.56x45mm
2015 Tender issued in 2011 is withdrawn
Second attempt is made to buy modified INSAS 1C rifles, but it is scrapped too after the Army opts for a rifle for heavier 7.62x51mm rounds
JAN. 2017 Third change comes in as Ministry of Defence okays purchase of 72,400 7.62x51mm rifle rifles
AUG 31, 2018 Fourth effective change is made as the Indian Army now wants 7.62x39mm rifles and issues a fresh tender to procure new 6.5 lakh assault weapons
sanjiv@tribunemail.com
New Delhi, August 30
Berating the country or an aspect of it cannot be treated as sedition and the charge can only be invoked in cases where the intention is to overthrow the government with violence and illegal means, the Law Commission observed in a consultation paper on Thursday.
It noted that in order to study revision of Section 124 A of the IPC that deals with sedition, it should be taken into consideration that the UK, which introduced the section, abolished sedition laws 10 years ago.
The consultation paper toyed with the idea of redefining sedition in a country like India, the largest democracy, considering that right to free speech and expression was an essential ingredient of democracy that has been ensured as a fundamental right by the Constitution. Berating the country or a particular aspect of it, cannot and should not be treated as sedition. If the country is not open to positive criticism, there lies little difference between the pre and post-Independence eras. Right to criticise ones own history and the right to offend are rights protected under free speech, it said.
Sedition charges can only be invoked where the intention behind any act is to overthrow the government with violence and illegal means, it observed. PTI
Has word of caution on simultaneous polls
New Delhi: The Law Commission on Thursday submitted its draft report, favouring simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies while cautioning this was not possible within the existing framework of the Constitution. It recommended changes in the Constitution, Parliament rules of procedure and the electoral law. It stressed simultaneous polls would save public money and ensure better implementation of policies. The administrative machinery will be continuously engaged in developmental activities, rather than electioneering, it said. tns
monicakchauhan@gmail.com
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 31
The Congress on Friday said its president and Lord Shivas ardent devotee Rahul Gandhi had embarked on a journey to Kailash Mansarovar and will hopefully be blessed in ending the reign of acrimony in the country.
Congress media head Randeep Surjewala confirmed the departure of Gandhi who left this afternoon for the trek via the Chinese route something the ruling BJP attacked on Friday describing Gandhi as Chinese Gandhi. Counter attacking the BJP on the issue, Surjewala said the ruling party should stop creating hurdles between a devotee and his Lord.
Does Mr Gandhi need PM Narendra Modis permission now to undertake the journey to Lord Shivas abode? Does the PM consider himself mightier than the Lord? Let the BJP be warned. It will invite curses upon itself if it interrupted the union of a worshiper with his God. Also if they have the mettle let them undertake a difficult route to Kailash Mansarovar like Rahul Gandhi has undertaken and let them also go and pray for the nations well-being. But if they dont have the courage to take a tough terrain to the pilgrimage let them not create problems, Surjewala said.
In his short statement confirming the journey of Gandhi to Mansarovar Surjewala referred to Gandhi as ananya Shiv bhakt several times and said Gandhi had pledged to visit Mansarovar the day Lord Shiva saved him from an aircraft disaster.
When Rahul jis life was in danger he remembered Lord Shiva who saved him and all his friends aboard the aircraft from Delhi to Hubli, said Surjewala refusing to divulge the specifics of the route Gandhi was taking. He has gone privately from the Chinese side and not gone through the Government route.
Gandhi has long been visiting temples to ensure the BJP doesnt continue to appropriate Hindutva.
He was seen seeking blessings across the temples of Gujarat on the eve of state elections in December and has now again embarked on a major pilgrimage on the eve of elections to the assemblies of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Surjewala said Gandhi had gone to pray for the country, the youth, the Congress and himself.
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Smita Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 31
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions with his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oil for the third time this year on Friday.
The two leaders reviewed work done and pending projects at delegation-level talks along the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu with focus on stepping up cultural and people-to-people ties.
The two sides exchanged MoU regarding preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey of the broad gauge line between Raxaul (India) and Kathmandufirst agreed upon in April. India will provide financial assistance to construct the new electrified rail line connecting the border city of Raxaul in Bihar with Kathmandu. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited has been entrusted to conduct a preliminary survey of the new line within a year.
Met PM KP Sharma Oli in Kathmandu. Our deliberations were wide-ranging, covering multiple aspects of India-Nepal relations. We discussed ways to further deepen our economic, trade and cultural ties. Enhancing connectivity between our nations was discussed as well, tweeted PM Modi.
Later, the two leaders jointly inaugurated a 400-bed Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharmashala in Kathmandu.
The project was first agreed upon in 2004 and the construction on 10,625 square metres of land owned by PADT (Pashupati Area Development Trust) commenced in 2016 under Indian grant assistance of approximately Rs 14 crore.
The three-storeyed dharamshala has a total floor area of approximately 6,100 square metres and consists of single, twin-bedded, four-bedded and 10-bedded rooms, a dining hall, kitchen, library, multi-purpose hall, water treatment plant, solar heater and generator house among other modern amenities for visiting pilgrims.
The dharamshala will serve Nepal as an infrastructure that helps in increasing tourism and economic activity in the region. It will not only serve as a building but also stand as a monument reflecting Nepal-India friendship, said PM Modi at a public address system before flying back to Delhi. Thousands of pilgrims from India visit holy sites of Pashupatinath and Muktinath every year.
shalender@tribune.com
New Delhi, August 31
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions with his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oil for the third time this year on Friday.
The two leaders reviewed work done and pending projects at delegation-level talks along the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu with focus on stepping up cultural and people-to-people ties.
The two sides exchanged MoU regarding preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey of the broad gauge line between Raxaul (India) and Kathmandu first agreed upon in April. India will provide financial assistance to construct the new electrified rail line connecting the border city of Raxaul in Bihar with Kathmandu. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited has been entrusted to conduct a preliminary survey of the new line within a year.
Met PM KP Sharma Oli in Kathmandu. Our deliberations were wide-ranging, covering multiple aspects of India-Nepal relations. We discussed ways to further deepen our economic, trade and cultural ties. Enhancing connectivity between our nations was discussed as well, tweeted PM Modi. Later, the two leaders jointly inaugurated a 400-bed Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharmashala at Kathmandu. The project was first agreed upon in 2004 and the construction on 10,625 square metres of land owned by PADT (Pashupati Area Development Trust) commenced in 2016 under Indian grant assistance of approximately Rs 14 crore.
The three-storeyed dharamshala has a total floor area of approximately 6,100 square metres and consists of single, twin-bedded, four-bedded and 10-bedded rooms, a dining hall, kitchen, library, multi-purpose hall, water treatment plant, solar heater and generator house among other modern amenities for visiting pilgrims.
The dharamshala will serve Nepal as an infrastructure that helps in increasing tourism and economic activity in the region. It will not only serve as a building but also stand as a monument reflecting Nepal-India friendship, said PM Modi before flying back to Delhi. Thousands of pilgrims from India visit holy sites of Pashupatinath and Muktinath every year. TNS
shalender@tribune.com
Jalandhar, August 31
In a fresh twist in the alleged rape case against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the complainant nun has now accused him of putting her life to risk.
Lodging a complaint with the Kerala Police, she has alleged that the brakes of her two-wheeler were damaged at the behest of the brother of a priest associated with the Bishop. The priests brother reportedly told the nuns help to damage the vehicle brakes. The nun alleged there was a plot to kill her. Kottayam district police chief Hari Sankar said: We have received a complaint and are verifying it. Ever since the inquiry team came back after interrogating Bishop, it has tried to cross-check all his claims in Kerala, including his absence from the convent for some days. TNS
Next call after Sept 3
We have received a complaint and are verifying it We will take the next call (on future course of action) on the issue on September 3. Hari Sankar, Kottayam Police Chief
pardeepdhull@gmail.com
Kathmandu, August 31
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli on the sidelines of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit here and they held a detailed review on all aspects of the bilateral relationship, including ways to further deepen economic and trade ties.
This was the third meeting between the two leaders this year. They met earlier during Olis visit to India in April and the subsequent visit of Prime Minister Modi to Nepal in May.
Our deliberations were wide-ranging, covering multiple aspects of India-Nepal relations, Prime Minister Modi said after the meeting.
We discussed ways to further deepen our economic, trade and cultural ties. Enhancing connectivity between our nations was discussed as well, he added.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the two leaders held a detailed review on all aspects of the bilateral relationship.
The two leaders had a warm meeting, Kumar added.
Prime Minister Modi had a series of bilateral meetings, including discussions with his counterparts from Thailand and Bangladesh, on the sidelines of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit here.
He also held talks with presidents of Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.8 trillion. PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com
Kathmandu, August 31
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held productive talks with his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha during which the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, including ways to strengthen cooperation between India and Thailand.
The two leaders met in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, on the sidelines of the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.
The Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr. Prayuth Chan-ocha and PM @narendramodi held productive talks in Kathmandu. Their discussions focussed on strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and Thailand, the Prime Ministers Office tweeted.
The two leaders are here to attend the BIMSTEC summit.
Earlier on Friday morning, Modi and other leaders from BIMSTEC met informally at the Leaders Retreat here.
The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.8 trillion.
Modi on Thursday held talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. PTI
sanjiv@tribunemail.com
Kathmandu, August 30
Making a strong pitch for enhanced regional connectivity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today India is committed to work with the BIMSTEC member states in the critical sector and to combat the menace of terrorism and drug trafficking.
I believe there is a big opportunity for connectivitytrade connectivity, economic connectivity, transport connectivity, digital connectivity, and people-to-people connectivity, he said while addressing the inaugural session of the 4th BIMSTEC summit here.
India is committed to work with the BIMSTEC member states to enhance regional connectivity, Modi said. The Prime Minister said this region has become a meeting point for Indias Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. The Bay of Bengal holds special significance for the security and development of all of us. There is no country in the region which has not suffered from terrorism and trans-national crimes such as drug trafficking linked to networks of terrorism, he told the summit inaugurated by Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Modi said India is ready to host a conference under BIMSTEC frame-work on narcotics-related topics. This is not a law and order problem of one country. We must unite to tackle these problems, he said.
The BIMSTEC member states situated between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal face frequent natural disasters such as flood, cyclone and earthquake, Modi said and called for cooperation and coordination among them in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.
He also offered to host a conference in the areas of agricultural research and various other initiatives, including for start-ups, for the common benefit of the member states. For research on art, culture and other subjects in the Bay of Bengal, India would set up a Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies at the Nalanda University, he said.
Prime Minister Modi said India will host International Buddhist Conclave in August 2020 and invited all BIMSTEC leaders to attend the event as guest of honour.
The summit was attended by Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Thailand Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, Myanmars President Win Myint and Chief Adviser to the Government of Bhutan Gyalpo Tshering Wangchuk. PTI
7 nations form BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal
22 per cent of global population resides in these seven group member nations
$2.8 trillion is the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of these nations
sanjiv@tribunemail.com
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 30
Seven Excise and Taxation Officers (ETOs) posted in Gurugram helped nine firms siphon off funds worth over Rs 100 crore from the state exchequer via bogus tax refund claims. An FIR in this regard was filed in July. Subsequently, ETOs Narendra Dhanda and Shobhini Mala were placed under suspension after a preliminary probe.
Now the government has also suspended ETOs SK Singh, Vijender Dhull, Vikas Prashar, Sanjeev Saluja and Suneela Singh. All seven have been chargesheeted under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016, which can lead to their dismissal and demotion.
As the scam unfolded, investigations into the role of two Gurugram firms further revealed the involvement of 15 firms in Panipat district and two in Kaithal. These firms too submitted bogus claims for tax refund during transition from VAT to GST.
In view of the inter-state ramifications of the scam, CM Manohar Lal Khattar has ordered that the case be handed over to the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) as recommended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Excise and Taxation, Sanjeev Kaushal.
Modus operandi
Unscrupulous dealers would float a fake firm, procure bills of a commodity, such as cigarettes taxed heavily (21 per cent during VAT regime and 28 per cent under GST now), from within the state. They would show the sale on paper to a firm in another state (also fake) with 2 per cent central sales tax (CST), using Form C. Having thus paid 21 per cent VAT and charged 2 per cent CST, the trader would fraudulently claim 19 per cent refund from the government. For example, on a sale of Rs 10 crore, a dealer would claim a refund of Rs 1.9 crore.
The ETOs role
Form C was issued to bogus firms by ETOs even when they were not entitled to do business for which they were issued the form. Without the form, the firms could not have shown fake sales. It was found that two Gurugram firms, Vipin Enterprises and Uma Traders, had created a web of seven more bogus firms 15 in Panipat and two in Kaithal and duped the government of nearly Rs 50 crore each by fake claims.
The role of the Excise and Taxation Officers came under the scanner because they helped the bogus firms commit the fraud by issuing Form C. In some cases, even the address mentioned in their registration certificates were non-existent, Additional Chief Secretary Kaushal explained.
Praising Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vijay Singh, Joint RTC Rajiv Chaudhary and DETC Ashok Panchal, he said that the government had decided to issue commendation certificates to them for unearthing the scam.
REFUND ON FAKE BILLS
1 A fake firm would procure bills of a commodity like cigarettes taxed heavily
2 It would show sales outside state and claim refund for VAT paid & CST charged
3 It would procure bills from distributors, who generally sell stocks to retailers without bill, charging 1% of the bill amount
4 A firm with bills worth Rs 1 cr was presumed to have paid Rs 21 lakh VAT though all it had paid was a mere 1 per cent
5 The bogus firm would show sales to another bogus dealer outside Haryana against Form C and charge 2 per cent CST
6 Sale on CST is permissible only against Form C. The erring ETOs would issue the form knowing well the firm did not exist
7 The firm would then fraudulently claim Rs 19 lakh as refund
editorial@tribune.com
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 30
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed anguish over the Centre for not furnishing details on setting up of special courts to exclusively try politicians involved in criminal cases, saying the government was unprepared for the hearing.
The government is compelling us to pass certain orders which we do not want to at this stage, said a Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi which on August 21 asked the Centre to inform it about how many such special courts had been constituted and had actually started functioning. It posted the matter for hearing on September 12.
In its latest affidavit, the Centre said it had released funds to 11 states to set up 12 such special courts. It said two special courts were to be set up in Delhi and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Except Tamil Nadu, all the states had already notified the special courts, it submitted. In Tamil Nadu, the proposal was under consideration of the Madras High Court, it added.
So far, 157 cases had been transferred to these special courts and 44 such cases had been disposed of, it said.
editorial@tribune.com
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 30
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates from one state cant claim benefit of reservation in government jobs in other states.
A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi held that a person belonging to SC/ST in one state could not be deemed to be an SC/ST in another state where he might have migrated for employment or education.
The Bench held, A person notified as SC in state A cannot claim the same status in another state on the basis that he is declared as SC in state A.
The Bench said, If in the opinion of a state it is necessary to extend the benefit of reservation to a class/category of SC/ST beyond those specified in the lists for that particular state, constitutional discipline would require the state to make its views in the matter prevail with the central authority so as to enable an appropriate parliamentary exercise to be made by an amendment of the Lists of SC/ST for that particular state.
Unilateral action by states on the touchstone of Article 16(4) of the Constitution could be a possible trigger point of constitutional anarchy and, therefore, must be held to be impermissible under the Constitution, the top court said.
Another issue before the Bench was whether SC/ST candidates of other states could seek quota in government jobs in Delhi. With a majority of 4:1, the Bench held that so far as Delhi is concerned, the central reservation policy regarding SC/ST would be applicable here.
It ruled that Pan India Reservation Rule in force in National Capital Territory of Delhi was in accordance with the constitutional scheme relating to services under the Union and the States/UTs. Justice Banumathi, however, delivered a dissenting verdict on central reservation policy in Delhi.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 30
The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered the Director General, Civil Aviation, to ensure airlines develop a consumer-friendly approach, while directing Jet Airways (India) and Air Canada to pay Rs 35 lakh in compensation to a woman and her two children forced to de-board a Delhi-Toronto flight at Delhi airport.
Commission president Justice Paramjeet Singh Dhaliwal and member Kiran Sibal also asked for a report after taking appropriate measures and action.
Minali Mittal, her 11-year-old daughter Teesha and three-year-old Rivansh were left stranded at the Delhi airport during night hours without luggage, essentials and even calling facility.
Counsel Avnish Mittal alleged that the impression Minali got was that the cabin crew came looking at their skin colour. On finding them to be of Indian origin, they started accusing the complainant and children by shouting at them.
The three had in September last year boarded a Jet flight from Mohali to Delhi for onward journey. Teesha vomited in the Air Canada flight due to foul smell from a locked washroom.
Describing the acts of deficiency in service as also violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the commission asserted that everyone has right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself or his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, necessary social services and right to security in the event of sickness.
The commission held that cleanliness issues should have been sorted out prior to boarding of passengers. The opinion of doctor at the airport dispensary should have been taken.
We hold that Air Canada did not act with reasonableness, rather overreacted and acted in an arbitrary manner against the basic social norms and goals of the society. The action of Air Canada to deplane the complainants amounts to violation of human rights and child rights, besides deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, the commission said.
The stress and demanding lifestyle of working in the aviation industry may also be a contributing factor, resulting in irritable, arrogant and rude behaviour of the staff. They should be provided reasonable rest and imparted stress release training and develop behaviour which may be pleasant and respectful.
We suggest that airlines need to look inward and find out the reasons for the discourteous behaviour of their staff They should also develop a policy on circumstances in which a passenger can be deplaned, specifically when passenger appears to be sick, it concluded.
editorial@tribune.com
Nikhil Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 31
About five days after the Jharkhand police registered a case against an illegal shelter home, Packiam Mercy Cross Trust, Phullawal, where 38 children from Jharkhand and other states were staying, the Ludhiana Commissionerate on Friday booked the home owner, Satyandra Prakash Musa.
The city police registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act at Sadar police station. Police Commissioner Dr Sukhchain Gill told The Tribune that they had acted on the recommendation of the district administration. As per the administration, the shelter home was being run without mandatory registration.
Source said the District Child Protection Officer had also recommended the registration of a case under the Act.
Meanwhile, ADC Shena Aggarwal said she had completed a probe and would submit her report to the Deputy Commissioner on Monday.
Musa is already facing a case under Section 4 of the Jharkhand Religious Freedom Act, Section 42 of the Juvenile Justice Act, Section 5 of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and Section 370 (trafficking of persons) of the IPC. His former student, Junool Loga, was also booked by the Jharkhand police.
Junool did matriculation during his stay at the shelter home here and went back to Jharkhand in 2011. Now, he was selecting poor, tribal children and sending them to the shelter home here, Sadar SDPO (subdivisional police officer) Amar Kumar Pandey told The Tribune over the phone from Jharkhand.
Working chairman of the Council of Ludhiana Churches K Koshy said Musa was a holder of MA and MEd degrees.
He is married to a woman based in Tamil Nadu. He worked as a lecturer in a private institution in Chandigarh when he was serving as pastor in a church there. After selling his properties in Jharkhand, Musa shifted to Punjab in 2004, where he started the shelter home on his own land.
Musa was serving the poor. He is not involved in religious conversion, Koshy added.
The Jharkhand police on Thursday claimed to have traced 14 children out of 30 who had gone missing from the shelter home.
Eight children were earlier rescued by the Jharkhand police during a raid on August 20.
The shelter home was allegedly involved in child trafficking and religion conversions.
Musa has already denied the charges of conversion. He said these children came through churches or through children belonging to Jharkhand, but studying in Ludhiana.
Case against former student too
editorial@tribune.com
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 31
The Punjab Police have mobilised all district police and reserve battalions, including the anti-riot squad, to deal with tomorrows protests by the Shiromani Akali Dal and the AAP rebel group.
The Sukhpal Khaira-led group has announced to burn effigies of Akali leaders, including the Badals, for their alleged failure in solving and preventing sacrilege cases.
The Akalis have announced statewide protests against the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report. The police are fearing clashes as Akali activists may also target Khaira. HS Dhillon, DGP, Law and Order, told The Tribune that the police force was in readiness to prevent any untoward incident.
A group of Panthic organisations have been sitting on dharna at Bargari (Faridkot) since June 1, demanding action against those guilty of committing sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. They also want action against police officials responsible for firing at anti-sacrilege protesters in 2015.
Meanwhile, seeking the arrest of the accused in sacrilege and police firing cases, AAP workers on Friday burnt effigies of SAD leaders, including former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and former Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, in Ropar.
In Moga, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) demanded stern action against Badal and former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini.
editorial@tribune.com
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, August 30
Two months after the PSPCL management announced to punish 70 officials for causing a loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer, it has now decided not to pursue the case legally. However, when Power Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar was apprised of the matter, he said an FIR would be registered.
Sources say instead of registering cases against the guilty officials, the PSPCL seems satisfied with imposing minor penalties on the officials.
Sources say the power department had unearthed the scam almost four years ago and ordered two probes in the case wherein 70 senior PSPCL officers were held guilty of committing irregularities. Now, the management has decided not to register cases against them, they say.
The irregularities were committed in civil works worth crores of rupees in the border areas in 2011-12. While the corporation denied two annual increments to the serving officials, a 10 per cent cut was imposed on pensioners, besides a fine ranging from Rs 20,000 to 50,000.
The erring officials included a former engineer-in-chief, four deputy chief engineers and 12 assistant superintendent engineers and nine sub-divisional officers.
Baldev Singh Sran, Chief Managing Director, PSPCL, said: We have completed our proceedings as per department rules. We cannot recommend the registration of an FIR as of now as appropriate action against the guilty officers has been taken. They have been fined to recover the losses.
Senior officers, however, alleged that there was political pressure on the management. When contacted, Kangar said: The PSPCL management did not inform me about the decision. I will get cases registered against the guilty officers and send them behind bars. I will also discuss the matter with the Chief Minister and recommend a Vigilance probe.
editorial@tribune.com
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, August 31
Following reports of the visit of Indian High Commissioner to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and resuming of bilateral talks on the Indus Water Treaty, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is quite hopeful over the opening of the Kartarpur corridor.
Almost two weeks since he visited Pakistan to attend Imran Khans oath-taking ceremony, Sidhu said, I do not see this corridor as a passage, but a means of opening avenues between the two countries. Amritsar, which was once the Asias biggest mandi, can be revived. Even other countries have been looking forward to opening of this corridor, which can extend up to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Moscow, Central Asia and even Europe.
He said, I just want that if Pakistan shows a little positivity, we should respond with double positivity. We should not spread any negativity on the issue and those speaking against this new bonhomie need to just go silent.
Asked if he was saying all this for Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, he replied, I am mature enough for all this. I have never said a word on this.
Regarding the recent debate in the Vidhan Sabha over the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report, he said, The Congress and the AAP showed complete unanimity as both were concerned about Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege.
Over Chief Minister not naming former CM and SADpatron Parkash Singh Badal for sacrilege, he tried to evade reply. Almost everybody named him. Even the former DGP has given an affidavit that has embroiled him, he said.
editorial@tribune.com
Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, August 31
Residents of Punnawal village have accused the Nabha police of registering a fake theft case against a Dalit couple when the cops failed to take away the woman forcibly.
Earlier, the Dhuri Sadar police had registered a case against the couple and other villagers when they opposed the move of male cops from Nabha to take her forcibly with them without any woman cop from the village on August 17. Several videos of the incident had gone viral on social media.
The villagers on Friday sought the help of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and announced to launch an agitation if the cops did not stop harassing the couple.
Sangrur SSP Dr Sandeep Garg has directed SP, Headquarters, Harinder Singh to conduct a thorough investigation into the case.
On August 17, Manjit, a farmer from Nabha, with three male cops from the Nabha police station tried to kidnap Paramjit Kaur from her house. However, the villagers thrashed Manjit and got her freed from the police custody. Without any investigation, the Dhuri police registered a false case against the Dalit couple and 12 others on August 17. Now, the Nabha police have registered another false case against the couple. Its injustice, said Bant Singh Punnawal, former sarpanch of the village.
Paramjit Kaur alleged that Manjit kept her in illegal confinement at Chandigarh and Nabha for seven months. She escaped from his clutches on August 16.
Manjit along with three cops came to my village to kidnap me on August 17. Now, with the help of the police, he has been threatening me with dire consequences if I didnt go back to his house. I request the senior authorities to look into the matter, she said.
We have registered a case against Paramjit Kaur and her husband Gurjant Singh for theft of cash and gold ornaments from the house of Manjit Singh. We are conducting further investigations, said ASI Sadha Singh from the Nabha police station, who came with Manjit to Punnawal village on August 16.
He said on August 17 he along with Manjit went to Punnawal to serve summons to Paramjit as Manjit had lodged a theft complaint against her.
The Sangrur SSP said investigations were on in the case and no one would be spared.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com
A number of ayurvedic physicians in Bengal have submitted a memorial to His Excellency the Governor on the subject of certain ayurvedic medicines having been declared to come under the local Excise Act as containing a small percentage of alcohol. Recently a Kaviraj at Dacca was prosecuted by the Excise authorities for selling a medicine which on analysis was found to contain 17.6 per cent alcohol. The prosecution was subsequently withdrawn, but what the memorialists urge is that the said medicine and similar preparations, which are prescribed in the ancient system of Indian Medical science for certain ailments, should be exempted from the operation of the Excise Act. They have assured the Government that nobody takes these medicines as intoxicants and they have no value as such, but that for certain ailments they are given and used even by the most orthodox people who avoid all intoxicants.
shalender@tribune.com
THE jail administration report of the United Provinces for 1917 shows that there was at the end of the year 1,472 less convicted prisoners than at the end of the previous year. This reduction in the jail population was not caused by the conditional release of prisoners for service in the labour corps but by the fall in the number of convicted prisoners. The decrease this year was 2,190 and last year also there was a decrease of nearly 2,000. In other provinces certain undertrial prisoners were released on condition of their enlisting in the army or joining the labour corps. It is noteworthy that the number of juvenile offenders also decreased and there was a steady decline in the number of literate prisoners admitted to jails.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com
Amarjot Kaur
A couple of kilometres from Rishikeshs Lakshman Jhula, lies the derelict Beatles Ashram, located on the premises of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve by the banks of the Ganges. Formally known as Chaurasi Kutiya Ashram, which the locals refer to as Swarg Ashram, it is vestige of an era of Indophilia among the westerners. Paul McCartney recently confirmed the 50th-anniversary reissue of the bands seminal White Album, which they belted out soon after the 1968 Rishikesh trip. But, what makes the Beatles Indian sojourn resonate with hipsters and global tourists, even after all these years?
The Beatles romance with Indian music and its culture began on the sets of Help!, the bands and Richard Lesters 1965 comedy-adventure film, where George Harrison was introduced to the sitar. Two years later, the band attended Maharishi Mahesh Yogis lecture on transcendental meditation in the Wales. After the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, fissures started appearing between John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In the hope of finding a mentor and for a spiritual retreat, the Beatles sought refuge in Maharishis ashram. At the ashram, they wrote 48 songs (most of which were mounted on their three albums: Yellow Submarine, White Album and Abbey Road). Musicians Donovan, Beach Boy Mike Love, and actress Mia Farrow also stayed here. Ringo Starr, who stayed at the ashram for only 10 days, wrote his first song here. Lennon cut short his stay here after he developed differences with the Maharishi.
Fifty years later
A 10-minute walk from the main road brings one to an expansive, triple-dome entrance to the ashram, which was reopened in 2016 following a long legal battle. The concrete, pebbled, and moss-laden domes show signs of neglect, more than ageing. At the check-post, a forest guard asks for the entrance fee Rs 40 for those below 18 years, Rs 75 for senior citizens and students (above 18 years), Rs 150 for Indians and Rs 600 for foreigners. He introduces us to another forest guard, Naveen Jain, posted here for three years. This place is managed by the Rajaji Tiger Reserve now. When I first came here after my posting in 2015, a thick forest overgrowth covered the entire place. We could not see half of the buildings, or the paths, he says.
Happy to promote the ashram, he suggests we speak to a local Beatles expert, Raju Gusain. He facilitated the photographs of the band for the new art gallery from Canadian director Paul Saltzman, Naveen says, while guiding us through a long walkway, surrounded by pebbled dome-shaped huts that looked like double-storey igloos. These were used as meditation rooms, he adds.
Just before reaching The Beatles House, near the back gate of the ashram, where the Fab Four wrote songs and chatted with friends, one is drawn towards the unique architecture of the place. The stones stuck on the concrete of the walls of the yoga hall have been collected from the riverbed and it opens to a huge open area, with a broken shed and a stage overlooking a splendid view of the city of Rishikesh and the Ganges. Its walls are covered with Canadian artist Pan Trinity Das artwork. There are two chambers comprising 42 kutiyas (meditation huts) on either side.
Not far from the ashrams post office are three photo galleries: one on the Beatles, other on Maharishis transcendental meditation and third on wildlife photography in the tiger reserve. The gallery features coloured photographs of the band members, their wives and groupies. These were clicked by Saltzman, the Emmy award-winning director, whos also Canadian-Indian director Deepa Mehtas former husband.
I requested Saltzman to share these pictures. He donated these to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Foundation, which gave it to the forest department, says Raju. Saltzman released a book of photographs titled Beatles in Rishikesh, in February this year showing the brooding Lennons smile and vexed Cynthias questioning look.
Even the heavy downpour earlier this week could not stop Anna and her friend Julia from visiting the ashram. The Beatles brought Rishikesh on the world map. I feel spiritually charged when I am here. I visited the ashram a year ago. The sound of the Ganges flowing nearby was all I could hear. I was overwhelmed with emotions. It was an enriching experience, and I wanted to feel it again. A cafe and three galleries have come up now. So its even better, says Anna. Robert Maylath and Sara Camargo from faraway Canary Island in the Atlantic say, The bands best music was made here, in this ashram. When I first visited the place two years ago, I was overwhelmed by the energy here, says Sara.
It was this energy that fuelled the band. Lennons song Dear Prudence was inspired by Farrows reclusive sister Prudence. The local wildlife inspired McCartney to write many songs, including Why Dont We Do It in the Road which he wrote after he saw monkeys openly copulating. Mike Loves presence helped spark Back in the USSR, a pastiche of the Beach Boys California Girls.
The birthday song
Back in 1968, 86-year-old Ajit Singh, owner of Pratap Music House, one of the oldest music shops in Dehradun, was teaching in Doon School, besides running his shop, when the Beatles entered his life, literally. The band landed at his shop even before they went to Rishikesh. The Beatles were an iconic band of our time. I was flabbergasted when I saw them walking into my shop. They had come to see a few instruments but didnt buy anything. A large crowd gathered in front of my shop. I took them to my home for a cup of tea, recalls Ajit. On George Harrisons 25th birthday that year, Ajit, along with his Doon gang, comprising vocalist Deshpande and Shrivastava on tabla, performed a 40-minute Hindustani classical music set at the Yoga Hall. I played the Raag Jog, on vichitra veena. Its tune is similar to Within You Without You from their album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Later, I received a call from the ashram to fix Harrisons guitar. He wanted me to remove the paint on his guitar but I advised him against it. When I gave him back his guitar after repairing it, he loved it. Ajit also sold the band a customised tanpura and surbahar, besides making a peddle-operated harmonium for John Lennon.
Stars in the ashram
The Beatles stayed in Room No. 9. It is painted with lyrics of their songs, like Yesterday and a graffiti that reads: When you look up at the sky and see a cloud, think of me. Lennon and Yoko.
Strangely, John came to the ashram with his wife Cynthia. As mentioned in Bob Splits The Beatles: The Biography, the couple shared a four-poster bed at the ashram, with Lennon playing the guitar and Cynthia drawing and writing poetry between their long sessions of meditation. In the ashram, Lennon slept in a separate room but walked down to the local post office every morning to see if he had received a telegram from Yoko, who sent one almost daily. He married Yoko a year after leaving India.
editorial@tribune.com
Dehradun, August 31
The state Congress on Friday held demonstrations across the state burning effigies of the Central Government in protest against the rising LPG, petrol and diesel prices.
Led by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pritam Singh and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Indira Hridayesh, party workers in large numbers marched in a procession from the state party office in Dehradun to the Astley Hall Chawk via Rajpur Road and Ghanta Ghar and burnt an effigy of the Centre.
Addressing Congress workers at the party office here, the PCC president said the prices of petroleum products were never as high as today, not even when crude oil price was double its present price in the international market during the UPA's tenure.
Accusing the Narendra Modi government of "looting" the country, he said people were groaning under the weight of rising prices and the only way out was to overthrow the Modi government in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.
Hridayesh asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his promise of bringing down the prices within 100 days of coming to power.
Similar protests were staged by party workers at every district headquarters in the state. PTI
vermaajay1968@gmail.com
Vienna, August 30
Iran is sticking to the terms of its nuclear deal with world powers, a UN atomic watchdog report showed Thursday, despite ongoing uncertainty over its future.
The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency showed that Iran was still complying with the key parameters of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
It comes despite the future of the deal being thrown into doubt after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact in May and re-imposed US sanctions.
The latest report says the IAEA had had access to all the sites and locations in Iran which it needed to visit.
However, the agency repeats language in its previous report emphasising the importance of timely and proactive cooperation in providing such access on Irans part.
The report said Irans stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and heavy water had both slightly increased since the last report in May, but were still under the limits agreed in the deal.
On Wednesday Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran should be ready to set aside the JCPOA if it is no longer in the countrys national interests. However Khamenei said talks should continue with European states. AFP
vinaymishra188@gmail.com
Islamabad: Thousands of Pakistan's hardline Islamists have called off their rally following the cancellation of a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest by a Dutch anti-Muslim lawmaker. The far-right Opposition politician Geert Wilders said he cancelled the contest following death threats. The decision prompted Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a firebrand Pakistani cleric, to end his march. Physical depictions of the prophet are forbidden in Islam. AP
South Korea bans coffee in schools
Seoul: Students and teachers in South Korea will need to find new ways of staying alert through the long school day, after the government said it will ban coffee sales in schools. Selling highly caffeinated drinks to students in schools has already been banned since 2013, but with coffee vending machines still available for teachers, wily students have been able to get around the rules and find their coffee fix. From September 14, coffee sales will be entirely prohibited from schools. AFP
Hollywood nude photo hacker jailed
Los Angeles: George Garofano, who hacked the iCloud accounts of more than 250 people, including several Hollywood celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, has been sentenced to eight months in prison. Garofano will also face three years of supervised release and 60 hours of community service. The hack occurred in 2014 when photos of prominent celebrities appeared on image-sharing site 4chan. IANS
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) Idi Stuart says people who are vaccinated against Covid-19 should be given priority for limited Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds over those who are unvaccinated.
He says those who made a conscious decision not to get vaccinated would have done so believing they could beat the virus on their own.
And so limited resources should go to those who made every effort to protect themselves.
The lamp of Divali will rekindle its brilliance everywhere, as the festival of lights is celebrated once again. This observance marks a time of illumination, wisdom, enlightenment and positivity.
As we observe Divali in these difficult times of the ongoing pandemic, we will find the necessary strength to light the lamp that will uplift us. Divali is a symbol of hope and humankind. It signifies the brilliance that removes all forms of darkness.
Hi Everyone
We are travelling from Perth to Monkey Mia and back in a campervan for a week in October.
I know that is a lot of mileage but we are very happy driving long distances and have done a few road trips of this length and time in Australia.
Do you have any suggestions about places to stop and visit?
We kind of have a rough plan but would love to hear of some good stopping places for picnics and any sights to see. We love beaches and nature, especially off the beaten track, not interested in tourist attractions too much.
The plan is:
Perth to Yanchep (fancied a dip in the lagoon)
to Ledge point (see lancelin dunes and pinnacles)
to Jurien Bay (stay overnight)
to Kalbarri national park (stay overnight)
to Hamelin Pool
to Monkey Mia (stay three nights)
drive back to Perth with two stops (open to suggestions for the return leg)
All suggestions well. Thanks in advance.
:)
Looking for recommendations for tour operators offering a variety of options.
We are looking to split our time of 3-4 days inland where we can hike, repel, ww rafting,etc.. And 3-4 days on the coast fishing and surfing.
This would be our first visit and are still researching what areas to focus on staying.
Absolutely loved our visits to Belize and Guatemala in years past, and looking forward to checking another country off the list.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
After hundreds of hours researching and reading travel blogs I think Ive come up with an itinerary but Im not 100% sure its ok. My husband and I will be travelling with our 2 daughters (10 & 12) for 17 days mid April 2019. This will be our first trip to Vietnam but we have travelled other countries extensively. We would love more time but are restricted by school holidays, so Ive tried to streamline the itinerary to reduce the number of travel days and avoid back tracking.
Day 1 - fly from Perth to Da Nang, the drive to Hoi An (should arrive just after lunch)
Days 2-4 - 3 full days in Hoi An
Day 5 - fly from Da Nang to Hanoi and drive (by private car?) from airport straight down to Ninh Binh
Days 6-8 - 3 full days in Ninh Binh
Days 9-11 - tour to Pu Luong reserve for hiking and home stays (3D 2n tour)
Day 12 - travel from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba Island
Days 13-14 - CatBa Ventures overnight boat cruise (2d 1n) ending back in Hanoi
Days 15-16 - 2 full days in Hanoi
Day 17- fly Hanoi - home
So my questions are:
- Do you think 3 full days in Ninh Binh followed by the 3D 2N Pu Luong tour is too long? Should we reduce it to 2 days in Ninh Binh and use the extra day somewhere else?
- do you think it will be ok to fly from Da Nang and the go straight to Ninh Binh from the airport that day or should I change this part of the itinerary around?
Im really keen to start booking but I just want some reassurance first in case Ive stuffed something up.
Many Thanks!!
Our family of 4 ( with 2 teens19,15) will be visiting Fiji for our first time in March 2019.
We are traveling from the West Coast USA so it will be a long flight! I want a good experience for my family so is debating between these 3 resorts ( from lowest to highest $$) Octopus, Paradise Cove, or Castaway. I am looking for a nice beach with good snorkeling and lots of activities so my kids don't get bored. I am leaning toward Castaway cause it's only abou 1.5 hrs ferry ride Vs Paradise Cove (3 hrs boat ride). Since we are traveling during typhoon season, I wanted to spend 1 night on the mainland ( Fiji Marriott vs Intercontinental Fiji) before we fliy out back to US incase a storm shows up at the last minute. Castaway sounds like a plan but is the beach there as nice as Paradise Cove ? Also,. Paradise Cove cuisine I heard is top notch? Please help me decide.
Thanks in advance.
Globally, the Horn of Africa has amassed a lot of attention due to its armed conflicts that have lasted for over a decade now. Other than the armed conflicts and probably severe food crisis or large-scale displacement of people, a little is known about the segment of the African map. To know more about the region, read on!
Probably you have been asking yourself, why is it called the horn of Africa? The Horn of Africa can be defined as the easternmost extension of African land that juts into the Guardafui channel. It is a peninsula (since its borders are surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea waters) that is south of the Gulf of Eden having its name derived from its shape. The regions shape on a map is redolent to a rhinos horn explaining why it is referred to as a horn. So, how many countries are there in the horn of Africa? Below is the Horn of Africa country list.
1. Somalia
Somalia is one of the Horn of Africa countries with its official name being the Federal Republic of Somalia. The country is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the west, Gulf of Eden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east and Kenya to the southwest direction. The Horn of Africa countrys terrain mostly consists of plateaus, plains and highlands.
Language, population and capital city
Somalia has two officially recognized languages which include Somali and Arabic. Other minority languages spoken in Somalia include Bravanese, Kibajuni, Mushunguli and Somali sign language.
The country has a population of 15,181,925 with a fertility rate of 6.51 percent as of 2018 as per the United Nations estimate. Its migrant net rate has remained constant at -39,958 for the last three years.
Mogadishu is the capital city and the most populous city in Somalia. Located in the coastal Indian Ocean region of Banaadir, the capital city has served great importance as a port for centuries.
Somalia little-known facts
We all know Somalia as a country affected by terrorism and probably nothing else. Most of you, for instance, do not have any idea about the countrys current president. Below are some of the facts you presumably dont know about Somalia
In terms of land area, Somalia is the 43rd largest country in the entire world with an area of 637,657 square kilometers.
Were it not for a civil war, having the largest coastline in Africa (3,300 km long) could probably make Somalia the leading tourist destination in the continent.
In September 2012, Somalia had its first general election since 1991 when a civil war broke out. Hassan Mohamud won the election by 179 votes against 79 in a voting first round of Somali MPs.
READ ALSO: Largest country in Africa by size and population
2. Ethiopia
Ethiopia is also one of the countries in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the northeast, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, South Sudan and Sudan to the west, and to the south, Kenya. Its worth noting that Ethiopia is a landlocked country with a ragged landscape split by the Great Rift Valley.
Language, population and capital city
This Horn of Africa country has 83 different languages spoken with the largest language groups being the Amharas, Tigrayans and the Oromos. The official national language in the country is Amharic despite the fact that English, French, Italian and Arabic are widely spoken.
Ethiopia has a total population of 107,857,988 people as of 2018 based on a UN (United Nations) estimate. The country has a fertility rate of 4.50
Addis Ababa (translated to new flower in English) is the capital and the largest city in Ethiopia. It houses the new Addis Ababa to Djibouti railway station, a zoo famous for its lions, an international airport and Addis Ababa University.
Ethiopia little-known facts
Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in the world having been founded in 980 BC.
Ethiopians have a low life expectancy of about 50 years for women and 48 years for men
The countrys calendar has 13 months. The 13th month has only five days and six days in a leap year.
The famous coffee was discovered first in Ethiopia in the Kaffa region
Ethiopia was never colonized. It defeated the Italians twice to remain independent.
3. Djibouti
Djibouti, formally known as French Somali land (1896), is another Horn of Arica country. It shares borders with Eritrea to the northwest side, Ethiopia to the southwestern side, Somalia to the southeastern side and the Red Sea to the eastern side. The countys landscape ranges from rugged mountains of the northern area to desert plains in the east and western area separated by parallel plateaus. Despite rugged landscape, Djiboutis fauna and flora abound naturally.
Language, population and capital city
On linguistics criteria basis, there are two main ethnic groups in Djibouti: the Somali and the Afar. Other languages like Arabian and French are also spoken in the country.
Djibouti has a total population of 971,408 people as of 2018 with an urban population ratio of about 73.9 percent according to the United Nation estimate. The migrant population net value of the country has remained constant at 900 in the last three years.
This Horn of Africas country capital city is the Djibouti city. With its location near the world busiest shipping lanes, Djibouti city acts as a refueling and a transshipment center. The city is known to house many international non-profitable organizations, the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport and many companies.
Djibouti little-known facts
Djibouti has a tourism slogan Djibeauty
According to World Bank open data, Djibouti is one of the countries that are covered by less than one percent of forests.
The country has more women than men.
Thanks to the Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway line, its capital city has now become a busy bolt hole.
After Swaziland and the Gambia, Djibouti is the third smallest country in Africa.
READ ALSO: How Many Countries Are There in Africa in 2018?
4. Eritrea
Eritrea is one of the Horn of Africa countries. It shares borders with Sudan to the west, Ethiopia to the south, Djibouti to the south-east and the Red Sea to the northeastern part. Its landscape is made up of central highlands, plateaus of crystalline rock foundation and deep gorges of river channels.
Language, population and capital city
Eritrea consists of several ethnic groups which have different languages and traditions. English and Arabic are the most widely spoken languages in addition to the other languages spoken by different ethnic groups. The other languages include: Tigrinya, Tigre, Saho, Kurama, Rashaida and Bilen
Eritrea has a population of 5,187,948 people as of 2018 with a fertility rate of 4.32 as per the United Nation estimate. The median age in the country was recorded to be around 18.9 years.
Asmara, the UNESCO world heritage site, serves as the capital city of the country. Asmara is a word coined from Tigrinya language which literally means they made them unite in English. It is referred to as Africas Miami sometimes due to its Art Deco buildings rich array. The city houses the Eritrean National Museum, former Opera house, and Art Deco Cinema Emperor.
Eritrea little-known facts
The country doesnt have any official national language
Out of 1,400 fish species found in Eritreas waters, 14 percent of these fish species were not found in any other country waters.
Eritrean women are known to fight alongside their husbands. This has been recorded as far as 1810 AD.
By allocating its coastline to be a reserve, it became the first country in the world to do so.
The Horn of Africa contains a wide range of features and facts. This cannot be seen by just a glance of an eye to an atlas map. With more research and effort, more features and facts about the horn of Africa countries will be captured.
Source: Tuko.co.ke
- The business journalist has been working for NTV for the past five years
- It is not yet clear which position Laban will fill at State House but sources claimed he would be in the communications department
- His appointment to State House came just days after former Citizen TV news anchor Kanze Dena was made State House spokesperson
Top NTV business reporter Laban Cliff Onserio has landed a lucrative job at the State House, TUKO.co.ke has learnt.
It is not yet clear which position Laban will take at State House, but judging with his polished CV in matters media, nothing beats the communications department.
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READ ALSO: Celebrated NTV anchor Laban Cliff surprises girlfriend with perfect proposal in Rwanda
READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
The anchor shared the good news with the public in a long farewell seen by TUKO.co.ke on Thursday, August 30.
The business journalist expressed his bitter-sweet feelings following the appointment as he revealed how he would miss Nation Media Group which had been his home for the past five years.
''My Good people, it is my final month at Nation Media Group after a sterling five-year career which started in September 2013 and ends on 21st September 2018. This is a message to thank each and every one of you for your support throughout this period.
"I started out as a rookie in business and what we have achieved so far is by no means a replica of how we begun,'' Laban's message read in part.
READ ALSO: Former State House spokesman lands plum job as Kenyan ambassador to United Kingdom
''2018, will definitely be one to remember as mark exactly five years in media, launch my motor sport career as a rally driver and as I marry the love of my life, Laura. I thank God for the gift of health in my 30 years on earth and pray for more InshAllah. Im exiting but I know we will meet in these streets," he added.
Laban's appointment came barely days after President Uhuru Kenyatta made major changes to his communication and press team.
READ ALSO: Kanze Dena gets promotion barely a month after State House appointment
As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier, Uhuru finally promoted ex-Citizen TV anchor Kanze Dena to State House spokesperson following her appointment as the Deputy Secretary, Communication and Spokesperson.
The president also scrapped off some vibrant digital communication platforms initially used to convey official communication in a move which could render some State House employees redundant.
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.
Awful day to die (Animated Joke) | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest
- Uhuru said corruption must be made painful and less rewarding to deter the vice
- He vowed not to relent in the war against graft which has since seen top leaders arrested
- Britain is third international partner- after Switzerland and Jersey Island-to support war on graft in Kenya
The fight against corruption on Thursday, August 30, received a major boost after the government entered into an agreement with Britain to see repatriation of all proceeds of crime stashed away in all its jurisdictions.
The signing of the deal was witnessed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and British Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May who called on the Head of State.
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READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
The signing of the deal was witnessed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and British Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May who called on the head of state. Photo: President Uhuru
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: Kenya named among world's biggest tax havens where the rich hide wealth to evade taxes
Uhuru stated the move would go along way in expunging graft from the public sector besides also helping in the attainment of the Big Four agenda.
He added he would not relent in the war against corruption.
There is no turning back in Kenya on this agenda. Fighting corruption is an important aspect for my legacy besides the Big Four agenda , said Uhuru.
READ ALSO: Five times top Kenyan judges have taken the walk of shame over corruption allegations
TUKO.co.ke had earlier reported that a similar deal had also been signed by President Uhuru and his Swiss counterpart Alain Berset on Monday, July 9.
Britain becomes the third international partner- after Switzerland and Jersey Island-to support Kenyas war on graft through the signing of agreements aimed at repatriation of assets and monies acquired through corrupt deals back into the country.
On her part, May said that besides repatriation of the proceeds of corruption, her government would support efforts to prosecute and conclude all major corruption cases in the country.
We welcome your commitment and drive to fight corruption. We stand with you. Whatever is held in the UK will be returned to build Kenya, said the PM.
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.
Ex-Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero Arraigned in Court Over Corruption. On TUKO TV.
Source: Tuko.co.ke
- Sofia's husband Ben is alleged to be seeing another woman who they regularly hangout with at a club along Kiambu Road
- The bosomy light-skinned beauty was identified as Maureen Wanjiru aka Moh Shiru
- Shiru acknowledged knowing Ben but reiterated they were only drinking buddies
Husband of Sharon Mutuku aka Sofia who plays a role in Citizen TV's kids drama Machachari could be cheating on her with a statuesque Nairobi beauty, sources privy to the couple have intimated to TUKO.co.ke.
It was absolute from the sources that Sofias husband Ben had succumbed to the bewitching beauty and charm of a bosomy Maureen Wanjiru alias Shiru Moh at the expense of his over five years legal union.
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READ ALSO: Machachari's actress, Sophia, shows off her husband
Sharon Mutuku aka Sofia Machachari with her husband Ben. The latter has been reportedly seeing another Nairobi beauty. Photo: Sharon Mutuku/Facebook.
Source: Facebook
READ ALSO: Machachari actress Sofia shows off her second born daughter and she is too adorable
Sofia and Ben have been married for over five years and got two daughters whose photos they have shared on several social media sites.
In regular instances, the couple has graced social media platforms with their cosy and intimate photos but alas! The tide seemed to have changed in the recent past.
Ben and the new catch have been hanging at a popular joint along Kiambu Road. They have been regularly drinking together and getting suspiciously intimate, the source said.
Maureen Wanjiru, the beauty claimed to be after Ben, the husband of Sharon Mutuku aka Sofia of Machachari.Photo: Shiru Moh/Facebook.
Source: Facebook
READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
The source stated sometimes the two can get intoxicated and without care, engage in explicit intimacy without reservation for other revelers.
They usually come here for a drink and do a lot of stuff until late that suggest they are more than intimate," said our source who sought anonymity.
When reached for comment, Sofia completely refused to be dragged into the issue.
Sharon Mutuku refused to comment on the matter. Photo: Sharon Mutuku/Facebook.
Source: Facebook
READ ALSO: Bobi Wine breaks down after Kizza Besigye visits him in hospital
However, Shiru did not deny knowing Ben but was quick to say they were not having an affair.
Its true Ben is my friend and we drink together as buddies and nothing more, we dont have anything intimate as you think," she said.
The actor was among married Kenyan women who fell for a Facebook post by a fake German seeking for a Kenyan woman to marry.
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Kush Tracey On Re Branding Herself and Crushing on Nyashinski | Tuko TV:
Source: Tuko Newspaper
Uhuruto is a popular and revered moniker in Kenya's political sphere which was coined in 2012 when President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto were elected to the highest political offices in the country.
Unlike former Kenya's presidents and vice presidents, Uhuru and Ruto's close attachment in public forums has always been conspicuous and the talk of the country.
READ ALSO: Mkewe Ababu Namwamba adokeza huenda ndoa yao imesambaratika
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto converse shortly seeing off UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: TUKO.co.ke.
Source: Original
READ ALSO: British Prime Minister Theresa May lands in Kenya for historic state visit
The two leaders have embraced each other, watched announcement of elections' results on television together, exchanged caps and made joking statements about one another to a level they were deemed inseparable.
Uhuru has remained to be the father in the Jubilee house, regularly assigning the DP sometimes in ways perceived to be insulting, but Ruto has always been a submissive heir whose eyes are fixed on the 2022 prize, never blinking to undertone political friction.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto converse shortly after seeing of UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: TUKO.co.ke.
Source: Original
READ ALSO: Jubilee MP dares Uhuru to surrender land illegally acquired by his late father
The two proved they were still the crowned and undisputed kings of 'bromance' on Thursday, August 30, when UK Prime Minister Theresa May visited.
Shortly after seeing the premier who was driven away from State House in a sleek Land Rover Discovery 3, Ruto and Uhuru heartily conversed, made excitement gestures and broke into laughter as these photos by TUKO.co.ke illustrate.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto converse shortly after seeing of UK Prime Minister Theresa May at the State House. Photo: TUKO.co.ke.
Source: Original
READ ALSO: Bobi Wine breaks down after Kizza Besigye visits him in hospital
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto heartily conversed shortly after seeing of UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: TUKO.co.ke.
Source: Original
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Kenya Untold Stories: Woman rejected for naming my son Uhuru Kenyatta (trailer) | Untold stories | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko
- Bobi was taken to Kirudu hospital in Uganda after his arrest at Entebe airport
- The police said they were waiting for orders from relevant authorities on the way forward
- They also noted he was stopped from leaving the country because he was on bail
Hours after the dramatic rearrest of Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, at Entembe airport, the police have take him to Kirudu hospital in Uganda.
According to his wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, he was forcefully taken to the hospital as police indicated they were waiting for orders from the relevant authorities on the way forward.
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READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
Ugandan police take Bobi Wine to another hospital after rearrest at airport
Source: Twitter
READ ALSO: Bobi Wine freed on bail to be flown to London for treatment
Given the fact that he is on bail, the police is concerned and await for guidance from the relevant government department, Ugandan Police said.
In a statement shared on her Facebook post on Thursday, August 30, Barbie dismissed earlier reports that the legislator had escaped from Lubaga hospital where he was receiving treatment.
"He has a medical report from Lubaga hospital recommending urgent medical treatment abroad," said Barbie.
READ ALSO: Bobi Wine's bodyguard goes missing after being picked up by security officers
Ugandan police take Bobi Wine to another hospital after rearrest at airport
Source: Facebook
She also noted the MP disclosed to him he was once again tortured while inside the ambulance he was bangled in after his arrest at the airport.
"He told me that as soon as they closed the ambulance doors, he was again brutally beaten in front of a government doctor. They switched off the lights in the ambulance and started battering him! Bobi is now back in pain and he is dumped at Kirudu hospital" she added.
His lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, has since condemned the move saying Bobi was within his rights to seek treatment abroad.
READ ALSO: Bobi Wine rearrested shortly after Museveni drops charges against him
It is essential to emphasise that Bobi Wine was fully within his rights to travel for medical treatment. Again, he has done nothing wrong. Again, he has broken no law. And again, the police beat him and detained him and will later make up some sort of false excuse, Amsterdam said in a tweet
The celebrity MP was arrested together with another legislator at Entebbe International Airport on Thursday, August 30, as they were trying to leave the country for treatment abroad.
Prior reports by TUKO.co.ke indicated he was violently 'abducted' by uniformed Ugandan police officers, bundled into a police ambulance and driven away to an unknown destination.
Bobi's second and unexpected arrest came barely a week after he was released from his illegal detention and admitted at Lubaga Hospital in Kampala
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Kenya News Latest: Kenya Marks 20th Anniversary of Embassy Bombing | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko
- Mwilu argued a series of of events have happened since President Uhuru threatened to 'revisit' the Judiciary
- She claimed there were efforts to see her kicked out of office in relation to the annulment of Uhuru's win in 2017
- Mwilu was charged with several counts related to corruption but did not take plea
- She is represented by a battery of 44 lawyers mostly drawn from the Opposition NASA
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu on Friday, August 31, dragged President Uhuru Kenyatta into her woes and claimed he was behind her arrest and arraignment.
According to the DCJ, there were efforts to kick her out of office after she played part in nullifying Uhuru's presidential victory in 2017.
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READ ALSO: Anne Waiguru strongly hints at being Rutos running-mate in 2022
Mwilu did not take a plea and obtained a court order suspending the criminal trial until October 9.
Source: Twitter
READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
In an affidavit filed in court and seen by TUKO.co.ke, Mwilu noted after the nullification of the president's first win, there were a series of events targeted at the Judiciary, specifically the majority judges.
She was among those who annulled Uhurus victory by a majority of four against two.
"Immediately following the determination of the SCOK on September 1, 2017, on the same day, none other than the President of the Republic of Kenya, who was still at the time his Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta , made public statements issuing both explicit and implicit threats against the majority judges who decided on the outcome of the Presidential petition," read the petition
READ ALSO: Machachari actress Sofias husband seen with another woman
In her affidavit, Mwilu says the Presidents public statements clearly understood to mean there would be retaliation.
Source: Facebook
A furious Uhuru went on record making explicit and implicit threats on Friday, September 1, against the judges saying the country had a problem with the Judiciary.
In her affidavit, Mwilu said the presidents public statements after he lost were clearly understood to mean there would be retaliation.
This was against both the Judiciary as an institution and the majority judges.
On several occasions after the decision, the president categorically took issue with the Judiciary terming it a "wakora (thugs) network".
READ ALSO: Anne Waiguru strongly hints at being Rutos running-mate in 2022
Mwilu was arrested on Tuesady, August 28, and later arraigned on Wednesday, August 29, to answer to corruption-related charges.
They included abuse of office, failure to pay stamp tax, improperly obtaining KSh 12 million from the troubled Imperial Bank and obtaining security by false pretence among other counts.
She did not take a plea and obtained a court order suspending the criminal trial until October 9, pending determination of the weighty issues.
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Kenya News Latest: Kenya Marks 20th Anniversary of Embassy Bombing | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko
- David Malelu left his family to an unknown destination in 1972
- His wife, Ruth, said before disappearing, her husband was seeing another woman
- He left for work in Mombasa but Ruth could not trace him when he visited as she used to do before
- Malelu said he went to Tanzania where he eked a living through doing farm work
- The octogenarian said there was no specific reason for abandoning his family
- He declined to speak about the other woman who made him abandon his first family
The wife of a Makueni man who abandoned his family in 1972 only to return 46 years later with KSh 500 and stained clothes has said his husband was lured away by another woman.
Ruth Malelu, 75, said David Malelu who disappeared from Nganue village in Makueni county in 1972 before he returned on Thursday, August 30, 2018, eloped with another woman whom she suspected was his side chick.
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READ ALSO: Mkewe Ababu Namwamba adokeza huenda ndoa yao ya kupigiwa mfano imesambaratika
David Malelu disappeared from his Makueni home in 1972 only to resurface on Thursday, August 30. His wife said he disappeared with another woman. Photo: The Standard.
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: UhuRuto bring out their lovely magnetic chemistry during UK Prime Ministers visit
In a report by The Standard seen by TUKO.co.ke on Friday, August 31 , 84-year-old Malelu solely returned home from Tanzania where he had silently traveled to after abandoning his wife and their three children.
"I cannot comprehend exactly when he went missing but the last time he left, he was with another woman. He said he was going to Mombasa where he worked in a hotel but we could not trace him there later. The other woman must have influenced and lured him out of our matrimonial home," said Ruth.
Speaking during an emotional homecoming event of the prodigal grandfather on Thursday, August 30, an excited Ruth said nevertheless she was happy to see her first love back home.
READ ALSO: Uhuru wants me out of judiciary - Philomena Mwilu
"We had combed mortuaries, police stations, hospitals and prisons together with the family but could not locate him. It was our hope he would come back one day or we would find his body and bury him and find peace," she added.
Malelu stunned many who came to witness the grand return when he said he did not have a specific reason of abandoning his family and completely refused to comment about the whereabouts of the other woman.
Ruth Malelu and her husband David Malelu who had been missing for 46 years during the reunion ceremony. Photo: The Standard.
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu survives losing job after court suspends criminal charges
The old and sickly man who said he had crossed the border over to Tanzania where he did farm work for a KSh 4, 400 per month, reiterated it was important he had reunited with family at a time he most needed them.
"I finally came to myself and concluded there was no reason for me to run away from a wife I loved. I didn't know my way back and bribed a police officer at the Kenya-Tanzania border to allow me in because I didn't have a passport," he said.
The octogenarian said he did not remember the exact location of his home and was helped by boda boda riders in Nunguni market, the only place he remembered, to get back to his family.
Unfortunately, in the 46 years Malelu was away, his only son, Sammy, died in his absense.
His two daughters are now adults with children, thus he returned home a grandfather despite leaving as a youthful dad.
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
- The man planned to assemble explosives and blow up the Prime Minister's office at 10 Downing Street
- He was arrested in a set up by an FBI agent who lied he wanted to help him in his plan
- The sentencing comes after May's state visit to Kenya
A London man who was arrested in a plot to kill United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May is set for sentencing on Friday, August 31.
Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 21, who was arrested in November 2017, was found guilty of planning to commit acts of terrorism in Britain in July 2018.
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READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 21, who was arrested in November 2017, was found guilty of planning to commit acts of terrorism in Britain in July, 2018. Photo: Sky News
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: UhuRuto bring out their lovely magnetic chemistry during UK Prime Ministers visit
According to Sky News, Rahman was arrested after collecting dummy explosives from an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agent who he had contacted him online pretending to be a terror agent.
The accused had planned to bomb the Prime Minister's office gate at 10 Downing Street, kill the security officers and attack May with a knife or a gun with intent to end her life.
Rahman was arrested after collecting dummy explosives from an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agent. Photo: Sky News
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: UK agrees to return millions in stolen wealth hidden by corrupt Kenyans
While talking to the FBI agent who had posed as an Islamic State (IS) agent, Rahman said he planned to bomb the UK Parliament.
"I want to do a suicide bomb on parliament .... I want to attempt to kill Theresa May," said Rahman
"There are lorries here with big gas tankers. If a brother can drive it next to parliament, I will bomb," he added.
The sentencing of Rahman has come at a time when May is in the country for a state visit. Photo: UGC
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: UK Prime Minister Theresa May to visit Kenya end of August and we have details of the visit
Rahman came to the attention of police after he was arrested for sending indicent photos to a minor and was released but not before the police examined his phone and found potentially extremist views linked to terrorism.
The sentencing of Rahman has come barely a day after May visited Kenya.
She arrived in Nairobi on Thursday, August 30, where she met with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House and held bilateral talks with other business people.
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Kenya News: Theresa May, British Prime Minister, visits Kenya | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko Breaking News
- Her defence team included Senior Counsel John Khaminwa and Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior of Makueni
- Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka made submissions in defense of Mwilu on Wednesday, August 29
- Mwilu was seeking suspension of criminal proceedings against her over KSh 12 million corruption allegations
Embattled Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu who is facing corruption related charges at Milimani Chief Magistrate's court is being represented by 44 advocates, TUKO.co.ke has established.
The DCJ was arrested at the Supreme Court in Nairobi on Tuesday, August 28, by officers from Directorate of Criminal Investigations and later arraigned before Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi who declined to suspend criminal proceedings against her as ordered by the High court.
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READ ALSO: Wazungu waaibishwa na video ya dansi ya Waziri Mkuu Theresa May akiwa Kenya
Julie Soweto who participated in the presidential petition at Supreme Court on 2017 was among DCJ Philomena Mwilu's advocates. Photo: The Star.
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: Charge sheet reveals how Philomena Mwilu received KSh 12 million bribe
Appearing before Mugambi on Friday, August 31, one of Mwilu's advocates, Senior Counsel James Orengo, who is also Siaya senator stunned the magistrate by stating the defence team comprised 44 lawyers who wanted to make submissions.
When the DCJ appeared before the same court on Wednesday, August 29, 32 lawyers including former vice president and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka stated they would represent her, with some of them going on record.
"Your honour, we are 44 in the defence team and a good number of us would be making submissions," pleaded Orengo.
READ ALSO: Anne Waiguru strongly hints at being Rutos running-mate in 2022
The request stunned Mugambi who said it would be difficult to allow all the advocates to make submissions in defence of the accused person who sought not to take plea for corruption related charges involving KSh 12 million.
Mugambi was worried that in the previous pretrial session, one lawyer took over an hour to raise issues and it would require too much time to have the numerous high profile lawyers to argue in the matter.
"One lawyer took a long time to make submissions in the previous session. We cannot go to that direction of allowing everyone to speak. The court will limit time in that if it is 40 minutes, the prosecution will take 20 minutes and the defence the remainder," said Mugambi.
Senior Counsel and Siaya Senato rJames Orengo was among DCJ Philomena MWilu's lead advocates in the matter she is seeking to bar criminal proceedings against her. Photo: The Star.
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: Kenyan Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto wins Zurich steeplechase with one shoe
The magistrate lamented that Mwilu's matter was not the only case before the court's and he needed to equally attend to other clients utilising the limited court time.
Mugambi adjourned the matter for 30 minutes to make rulings which would guide the proceedings followed keenly by Kenyans.
Among others Mwilu's advocates included Senior Counsel John Khaminwa, Senators Mutula Kilonzo Junior (Makueni) and Okongo Omogeni (Nyamira), MPs Anthony Oluoch (Mathare) Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay) and Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Julie Soweto, Harun Ndubi and Nelson Havi.
Most of them are Opposition inclined lawyers who litigated in the publicised presidential election petition of 2017 which saw the Supreme Court nullify President Uhuru Kenyatta's win on Friday, September 1.
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Kenya Marks 20th Anniversary of Embassy Bombing | TUKO TV.
Source: Tuko
- Locals claimed two pythons are behind killing their livestock
- They killed on of the snakes and are still hunting for the other
- Villagers accused KWS of ignoring their pleas to address the human-wildlife conflict
There was a sigh of relief and joy after Kimwarer residents in Keiyo south, Elgeyo-Marakwet killed a four-metre long python that has been terrorising them.
The overjoyed residents said the snake had been swallowing their goats and sheep and causing them a lot of fear.
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READ ALSO: Kenyatta University student narrates how she sleeps with older men for the good life
Kimwarer residents display the python after they managed to kill it. Photo: Kipkosgey Tuwei.
Source: Original
However, they intimated to TUKO.co.ke their troubles were not over since there was another similar serpent that was still lurking in the area.
"This snake has been disturbing us so much. Our sheep and goats have been swallowed by this huge snake," said James Chebet, a resident.
The reptile's presence in the village was attributed to climatic conditions favourable for serpents.
The village lies along the Kerio Valley and most residents have been having constant human-wildlife conflict where most reported cases are of snake bites.
READ ALSO: Mkewe Ababu Namwamba adokeza huenda ndoa yao imesambaratika
According to the residents, they have been reporting the incidents to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Elgeyo- Marakwet but sometimes no action is taken.
Compensation for loss of property and lives has also been a thorny issue as the locals complained of poor pay.
"Sometimes when we report the matter to KWS when someone is injured by wild animals, they take too long to do compensations," said Elias Chebseba.
Story by Kipkosgey Tuwei, TUKO Correspondent.
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Theresa May, British Prime Minister, visits Kenya | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko
- The telecommunication company will introduce new security measures to curb SIM card swap fraud
- This will include having a customer's Mpesa transactions suspended during a SIM card swap
- It will also introduce facial and finger recognition to compliment voice biometrics
- The new measures comes following increased cases of SIM card fraud
- A number of Safaricom's employees have been arrested in connection with the scam
Safaricom on Friday, August 31, announced it would introduce new security measures to secure its customers' funds in Mpesa, a step in curbing the increasing SIM card fraud.
The telecommunication giant said in the new measure, Mpesa services will be suspended for a period of time whenever one swaps their SIM card.
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READ ALSO: Small-scale farmer from Dagoreti wins Safaricoms M-PESA Tu KSh 7.8 million house
The announcement was made during the tenth firm's Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: Bob Collymore defends Safaricom over claims its stealing from customers
The announcement was made during Safaricom's tenth Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Bomas of Kenya where the telco noted it would also explore other measures to curb the fraud.
To further complement voice biometrics, Safaricom will also explore the use of finger and facial recognition to prevent fraudsters from accessing customer details.
"SIM fraud has been a huge pain point for our customers and we have taken these concerns very seriously, said CEO, Bob Collymore
READ ALSO: Kenya Railways to build Miritini-Mombasa SGR link, ease commuters pain
To further complement voice biometrics, Safaricom will also explore the use of finger and facial recognition.
Source: UGC
The telecommunication company however did not state the precise dates on when the new measures will take effect.
"Our customers remain at the centre of everything that we do and in the next couple of months, we will put in place measures that will help us address this issue as we also work closely with DCI and the police," he added.
The announcement follows series of arrest of dozens of fraudsters behind the SIM card swap scam among them current employees of Safaricom, an electronics engineering student and a bank employee.
READ ALSO: Miraa trader wins KSh 7.8 million apartments in the Maisha Ni M-PESA TU Promotion
Among the things recovered from the fraudsters during their arrests were thousands of both used and unused SIM cards, M-pesa agent record books, till numbers, smart phones and laptops.
Source: Twitter
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) made the arrests after Kenyans raised concerns over the increase in how people were loosing money from their Mpesa accounts.
Prior reports by TUKO.co.ke indicated among the things recovered from the fraudsters during the arrests were thousands of both used and unused SIM cards, Mpesa agent record books, till numbers, smart phones and laptops.
In an effort to save its image, Safaricom went on and pledged to cooperate with the police in arresting those behind the crime.
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Raila Odinga Is a Project Employed Under Uhuru Kenyatta - Nazlin Umar | Tuko TV.
Source: Tuko
- The motor vehicles are alleged to have been acquired illegally or wrongly declared
- They were among other goods worth KSh 1.1 billion which were destroyed in Athi River
- The exercise was witnessed by Uhuru Kenyatta who said war on graft should not be politicised
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on Friday, August 31, destroyed contraband goods worth KSh 1.1 billion among them 151 motor vehicles.
The destruction of the goods including sugar, rice, cooking oil and electrical appliances was conducted at the East African Portland Cement, Athi River and was witnessed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
READ ALSO: Uhuru wants me out of Judiciary - DCJ Philomena Mwilu
Uhuru said he will not allow the war on corruption to be politicised, and anyone found on the wrong should carry their own cross irrespective of their social status. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta
Source: Facebook
READ ALSO: Uhuru introduces his brother to British PM Theresa May in lovely fashion
A statement by a representative of the authority said the 151 motor vehicles which were crashed had been either brought in the country illegally or wrongly declared.
While addressing a gathering thereafter, Uhuru said he would not allow the war on corruption to be politicised and anyone found on the wrong should carry their own cross irrespective of their social status.
"We will no longer be blaming junior officers and letting senior officers to go scott free. If you can not do your job, step aside," he warned.
READ ALSO: Railas party sounds warning to Museveni over treatment of MP Bobi Wine
He further noted the government was not happy to destroy the property but was forced to do so because the illegal goods and corruption was costing youths jobs.
"This war shall continue untill we bring fairness and honesty in the way business is done in this country. We shall no longer allow a few individuals to enrich themselves illegally at the expense of 45 million Kenyans," he added.
This comes after another set of contraband goods were also destroyed by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Fred Matiangi, including hundreds of gambling machines in July 2018.
READ ALSO: Wake up and save cane farmers, Musalia Mudavadi tells Uhuru
The war on corruption has not only seen the destruction of contraband products in the country but also the arrest of senior government officials, demolition of illegal structures and deportation of immigrants.
The fight has also gotten a section of Members of Parliament in trouble after it emerged they had been bribed to trash a report on contraband sugar which would have seen Finance CS Henry Rotich loose his job.
Although the fight against graft has earned the president praises from a section of Kenyans, others still believe the government needs to put in more effort.
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Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact | Tuko TV
Source: Tuko.co.ke
Chairman of the Audit Chamber of Ukraine Valery Patskan and President of the Supreme Audit Office of Poland Krzysztof Kwiatkowski signed the Lviv declaration of cooperation and partnership between the audit bodies of the two countries.
"This meeting is very important for us. The Audit Chamber has set a course for reforms since March of this year and actively uses the experience of the Supreme Audit Office of Poland," Patskan said at the meeting, the press service of the Audit Chamber reports.
He noted that both sides planned to conduct international audits in various fields, particularly, in the area of social policy and protection of rights and freedoms of citizens.
In turn, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski said that the highest audit bodies of Ukraine and Poland had been already cooperating very closely and praised the changes in the work of the Ukrainian audit chamber.
Pursuant to the Lviv declaration, the parties agreed to continue and develop friendly bilateral cooperation, exchange experience in the audit field and support each other in the process of improving the independent state audit.
ol
The European Union has once again called on Russia to immediately release Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov.
"EU calls on Russia to immediately and unconditionally release Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov, on hunger strike for more than 100 days in protest against incarceration of Ukrainian political prisoners by Russia," the EU Permanent Representation to the OSCE posted on Twitter.
Oleg Sentsov was detained by Russian security services in Crimea in May 2014. He was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony in Russia for alleged "plotting acts of terrorism."
On May 14, 2018, Sentsov declared a hunger strike demanding the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin.
On August 8, Sentsov's sister Natalia Kaplan said that his condition is "catastrophically bad".
Currently, about 70 Ukrainians are political prisoners in Russia and in the occupied Crimea.
ol
The settlement of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine is one of the main priorities of Italys OSCE chairmanship.
The search for a sustainable solution to the crisis in and around Ukraine is among the main priorities of the Italian OSCE Chairmanship, Italian Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Enzo Moavero Milanesi said in his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council.
According to him, the sides have to assume their responsibility, based on full respect of the ceasefire and on a relaunch of the political process within the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy format.
Italy assumed OSCE chairmanship in January 2018.
ol
Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the international organizations in Vienna Ihor Lossovsky has called for cessation of Russian occupation of Crimea and aggression in Donbas at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.
The text of his statement was made public on Ukraines Foreign Ministry website.
"The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be restored fully within its internationally recognized borders. It is the only viable way of resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and mitigating its dire humanitarian impact. We again urge the Russian Federation to reverse the illegal occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol, and to stop its aggression, including by withdrawing its armed formations from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and fully implementing its commitments under the Minsk agreements," Lossovsky said.
According to him, the meaningful international presence is a key to resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. At the same time, Ukraine witnesses no progress in addressing a number of security and humanitarian challenges brought by the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, as the Russian side continues denying its role and responsibility as a party to the conflict.
The Ukrainian diplomat drew attention of the international community to human rights violations in Crimea and Donbas.
"The Russian occupation administration keeps persecuting, detaining and torturing the dissenting voices, national minorities, and human rights defenders. The occupants search their houses, intimidate their families, and ban public gatherings. Only in the first half of this year, 66 searches of houses, 73 detentions and 89 interrogations were held in the temporarily occupied Crimea. As the Russian Federation keeps denying access of the international humanitarian organizations and NGOs to the occupied territories of Ukraine, this is obviously only a fraction of systematic human rights violations taking place on the daily basis," Lossovsky said.
We share the SMM views that systematic restrictions imposed by the Russian armed formations considerably hinder the SMMs monitoring activities, including its monitoring of the security aspects of the Minsk agreements, he noted.
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As of today, eight NATO trust funds are operating to support Ukraine in development of its Armed Forces' operational capabilities.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry is preparing to sign an agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers and NATO on the implementation of a trust fund project for the neutralization of explosives and countering improvised explosive devices.
At a Government meeting on Wednesday, August 29, "the Ukrainian side decided to sign the agreement," head of Department of Environmental Safety and Demining, Colonel Maksym Komissarov told a briefing in Ukraine's Defense Ministry on August 30, according to the ministry's website.
Read alsoHead of NATO Military Committee General Petr Pavel: We are heading to make Ukrainian defense forces capable and credible enough to deter any potential aggression
"We expect that the NATO side will sign it off as well. Following that, a trust fund will be created, which will help destroy improvised explosive devices and clean our territory of explosives," the officer said.
As of today, eight NATO trust funds are operating to support Ukraine in development of its Armed Forces' operational capabilities and their general transformation.
As UNIAN reported earlier, in March 2018, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said it would take 15 years to demine Donbas areas in the event of early completion of hostilities.
Among them, there are those recognized as victims of human trafficking.
Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Liudmyla Denisova, says 108 Ukrainian citizens are now being held in Italian prisons on human trafficking charges.
"However, among them, there are individuals who are recognized as victims of human trafficking. Five of them have already been released under court rulings. Now [Ukraine's] Foreign Ministry is working on the rest of them, drafting the relevant paperwork," she wrote on Facebook on August 30, following a meeting with Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine Davide La Cecilia.
Denisova added she had appealed to the Ambassador with a request to take the relevant information into account as cases are heard in courts. "The Ambassador said he would help to ensure the documents be submitted to the Italian courts in due time," she added.
Read alsoGerashchenko: We receive disturbing information about Sentsov, Balukh's health
In addition, the Ombudsperson informed the Ambassador about the situation with detained crew of the Russian-flagged, Crimean-registered fishing vessel Nord and those of the Ukrainian fishing vessel YMK-0041. "The situation is developing in such a way that, in fact, Russia is now blocking the return of both crews to their homes. Ukraine has done its utmost to free them," she said.
Denisova also noted she discussed with the Italian Ambassador the issue of Kremlin hostages, Ukrainian political prisoners. In this regard, she appealed to the diplomat from Italy, the country which this year chairs the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, with a request to support Ukrainian political prisoners in the international arena, as well as to influence Russia in their release.
The official will oversee the economic bloc.
Former Deputy Finance Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko became a new deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, who will replace Dmytro Shymkiv, who earlier today announced he quit civil service to return to business.
"I received an offer from the Presidential Administration, which was agreed with the president, to assume the post of deputy head of the presidential staff, and I accepted it," Marchenko told a Kyiv briefing Friday.
"In the coming months and years, I intend to work in the Presidential Administration, I plan to implement the course of the President of Ukraine, the course of reforms of the President of Ukraine," he said.
According to Marchenko, in the presidential administration, he will be responsible for the economic bloc.
Read alsoDeputy Head of Presidential Staff Shymkiv resigns
"These are all issues that I know well, I have good experience in the government, in the Cabinet's team, and now I will be in the team of the president of Ukraine," he said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Dmytro Shymkiv, is leaving the civil service, having decided to return to business.
UNIAN memo. Serhiy Marchenko was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance in May 2016, overseeing issues of fiscal decentralization, budget, and tax policy. On July 7, 2018, Marchenko filed a resignation letter.
At the same time, the SBU Security Service of Ukraine does not rule out the involvement of Russian special services, for whom Zakharchenko could have become a burden hindering their plans.
The reaction of the Russian foreign ministry to the murder of the leader of the Kremlin-controlled militants, in Donetsk, Alexander Zakharchenko, testifies to Russia's attempts to cover up its puppets in the occupied part of Donbas, according to press secretary of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Mariana Betsa.
"Lightning mega speed reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to Zakharchenko's assassination testifies, at least, to Russia's attempts to cover up their puppets, whom it supports and finances," Betsa wrote on Twitter.
According to Russian media, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova blamed "Kyiv regime" for the murder of Alexander Zakharchenko.
Read alsoExpert predicts when and how "DPR" terrorist chief Zakharchenko to be toppled
As UNIAN reported, today, August 31, head of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" Alexander Zakharchenko was blown up in a Donetsk restaurant "Separ" and died at a local hospital shortly after the incident.
The Security Service of Ukraine confirmed Zakharchenko's death and suggested that his death could be the result of internal criminal conflicts among militants, primarily related to the re-distribution of businesses seized in 2014-2018.
In addition, the SBU does not exclude the involvement of Russian special services, for whom the odious Zakharchenko could become a burden hindering their plans.
He has been serving his term in a penal colony in the town of Labytnangi, Russia's Yamal.
The European Union has again called on the Russian Federation to immediately free illegally imprisoned Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian penal colony since May 14.
"At the OSCE Permanent Council, the EU calls on Russia to immediately and unconditionally release Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov, on hunger strike for more than 100 days in protest against incarceration of Ukrainian political prisoners by Russia," the Vienna-based EU Permanent Representation to the OSCE tweeted on August 30.
Read alsoUK's Minister for Europe calls for immediate release of Ukrainian political prisoners held by Russia
As UNIAN reported, 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."
There are five suspects in the acid throwing case.
Canada's Ambassador to Ukraine Roman Waschuk has visited Kherson activist and official of Kherson City Council Kateryna Handziuk, who has survived an acid attack.
"Civic activist Kateryna Handziuk of Kherson survived acid attack scorching over 30% of her body. Excellent care at this Kyiv burn unit. Suspects in custody. In supporting Ukraine Law Enforcement, we expect assailants and their backers brought to justice, activists protected," he wrote on Twitter on August 30.
Read alsoInitial suspect in Kherson acid attack released, charges dropped
As UNIAN reported earlier, Kherson activist, adviser to the Mayor of Kherson and acting manager of affairs at Kherson City Council's executive committee Kateryna Handziuk on July 31 survived an act of acid throwing. Handziuk's injury was over 30% of the total body surface area, and doctors assessed her condition as serious.
The police qualified the attack on Handziuk as an assassination attempt committed with particular cruelty. Documents of the Handziuk case mention that the attack was ordered by members of law enforcement and government agencies a relevant fragment of a document was posted by Ukrainian Chief Prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko on Facebook.
There are five suspects in the acid throwing case.
After completing the courses, they were able not only to communicate with their relatives using messengers for social purposes, but also to get higher-paid jobs.
"We opened our computer literacy courses for people over 40 in the summer of 2017. The same year, in October, the parliament passed a bill on pension reform, which stated that 4% of employees in the workplace must be 45 or older. We hope that we also contributed to setting the trend against ageism," says Anton Trubnikov, head of a free social educational project based on the first Software and Computer Museum in Ukraine.
That year, our basic computer literacy courses were attended by more than five hundred elderly people that felt an urgent need to be able to easily use PCs in everyday life. The average age of the students was 65.
After completing the courses, they were able not only to communicate with their relatives using messengers for social purposes, but also to get higher-paid jobs.
"I got excited with the idea of creating the courses when I realized that we have millions of people in our country who have a degree, or even a few, plus life experience, health, and intelligence, but they cannot get decent wages only because they do not know how to use a computer. Moreover, there are many companies that dream of employing these people, because they are loyal, responsible, experienced and value their jobs. I realized that someone should do this to teach people computer knowledge and special skills," says Trubnikov.
A good example is the story of one of his students. She is 80 years old. Recently, she got a job in one of the companies in Kharkiv the woman watches who comes to work in the office through a video camera and when they come. This basic knowledge of how to use a computer she acquired through the courses now helps her at work. This woman is not unique. Many students at the end of the course have already registered with LinkedIn, where they actively receive job offers from headhunters.
In addition to teaching minimal technical subtleties of working with smartphones and computers, the teachers of our courses also educate their students in social literacy. Anton Trubnikov says that the majority of those who attend the courses do not know about the existence of the problem of age discrimination in employment: "We explained that an employer has no right to ask the candidates their age, gender or nationality. It is awful when companies write in their job vacancies "we are looking for an expert under 40," or "secretary under 30." It's blatant age harassment."
However, he acknowledged that they still suffer from a lack of volunteers to teach the courses. Today, the project employs more than 25 volunteers, but even this is not enough sometimes. Evening lectures are given by students after work. "We knew that the Ukrainian market is not big enough to support unprofitable projects. We do not have people in line waiting to help," he says.
However, despite this fact, their team plans to expand and increase their geographical coverage. One of the most ambitious tasks for the team today is creation of an international Internet platform, which within 3 to 6 months will teach basic computer literacy to those who do not have it. Trubnikov plans to bring the project to the international level.
"For this reason, we come to a quite logical question: how can a person who does not know how to use a computer find our course? We have a technique that we are now trying and testing. We have two ways of reaching these people. The first is, of course, children and grandchildren that can help us set up basic infrastructure for the device usage. The second one is to create offline teaching classes. We plan to find volunteers in other Ukrainian cities who can find a room, put in projectors and connect students with us. When online, we will give our students more detailed information. Our system will give them advice about absolutely everything starting with such things as how to use the cursor right. For us, this may seem very funny now, but elderly people do not know how to sign in to Gmail and what it is," says Trubnikov.
In Kharkiv on August 29, we held a press conference dedicated to the anniversary of the first Software and Computer Museum in Ukraine. Free courses on increasing computer literacy among the elderly are the main focus of the museum, along with regular free tours around the museum.
The Software and Computer Museum project has already been recognized by world-famous computer museums all over the world. What is more, in the first year of work, the museum team opened two branches in Kyiv and Kharkiv and signed a memorandum with a number of major universities around the country.
Patriarch Kirill's visit to the Phanar has not been successful.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I has informed Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (the Russian Orthodox Church, the Moscow Patriarchate) of his plans to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian church.
Their meeting took place in Istanbul, Turkey.
Read alsoMost Ukrainians consider Kyiv Patriarchate true successor of church established in Kievan Rus - poll
"The first news from the talks on the Phanar: Patriarch Kirill did not achieve all goals he had travelled for. First, there was a meeting in front of all the members of the Synod. Then there were tete-a-tete talks, only with translation," the head of the information department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya), wrote on Facebook on August 31.
"The meeting ended before 13:00. The guests were expected to stay for dinner, but they immediately left," he wrote.
When a journalist asked: "Your Holiness, how was it going?" Patriarch Kirill "nervously replied: 'Good, good.' But clearly it was without those feelings a negotiator has got after successful negotiations," Zorya continued.
Read alsoFilaret announces possible terms for Ukraine Orthodox Church to become autocephalous
Later, Metropolitan of France Emmanuel came out to reporters. He represented Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyiv Rus-Ukraine in Kyiv in July 2018.
"He made a short statement, the essence of which was in the phrase: we have informed the Patriarch about the decision to overcome the split in Ukraine and to provide autocephaly, which is being implemented," Zorya wrote and noted that an official wording is expected later, so the statement may not be verbatim.
"In general, the outcome of the negotiations for Ukraine gives grounds for cautious optimism," he said.
Later he added to his post that "one of the witnesses from among Ukrainians heard a phrase that a member of the Moscow Patriarchate delegation left while leaving: "Everything has already been decided there, we could not do anything about it."
The terrorist organization leader died at a local hospital shortly after the incident.
Chief of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic," Alexander Zakharchenko, was blown up in one of the restaurants in a militant stronghold of Donetsk.
Read alsoExpert predicts when and how "DPR" terrorist chief Zakharchenko to be toppled
Zakharchenko died at a local hospital, where he was admitted following the incident, a Russian propaganda media outlet Life.ru reported citing its sources on the ground.
The blast occurred in the Separ restaurant on Pushkin Street in Donetsk.
Zakharchenko suffered fatal wounds, the report says.
First photos emerged from the scene.
The warlord was 42 years old.
He headed the self-styled "Donetsk People's Republic" from November 4, 2014.
UNIAN memo. Alexander Zakharchenko is a pro-Russian terrorist, leader of the so-called "DPR". During the pro-Russian rallied in the east of Ukraine, he led the Donetsk branch of the Kharkiv Fight Club "Oplot."
On April 16, 2014, he was the leader of a group of militants, who seized the headquarters of the Donetsk city administration. In May 2014, he was appointed "military commandant" of the militant-held Donetsk. Subsequently, he was appointed to the post of "deputy minister of the interior of the Donetsk People's Republic." In August, he was replaced by Alexander Boroday, chairman of the council of ministers of the "DPR".
In November 2014, after illegitimate elections held in the "DPR," the unrecognized CEC of the "republic" announced that Zakharchenko had won the polls. According to the media, in 2010, Alexander Zakharchenko was examined at the Kharkiv Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise and officially recognized as a person with mental disability. The report stated "stable irreversible mental disorders." He was prescribed treatment in the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital No. 3. The certificate also notes that the patient was a "threat to others."
The years 2010-2013 were removed from Zakharchenko's official CV.
However, in 2013, Zakharchenko resurfaced in the media, already as an activist of the Kharkiv-based pro-Russian organization Oplot.
Meanwhile, Russia-controlled militants in Donetsk hastened to report the arrest of a "group of Ukrainian saboteurs" following the explosion that killed the local warlord.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, says "there are all grounds to believe" that the Ukrainian side is behind the murder of the leader of the "Donetsk People's Republic," Alexander Zakharchenko.
"In Donetsk, head of the Donetsk People's Republic Zakharchenko was killed in a terrorist act. There are all grounds to believe that the Kyiv regime is behind his murder, as it repeatedly used similar methods to eliminate dissidents and opponents," the Russian TASS agency quoted Zakharova as saying.
She went on to say that "instead of fulfilling the Minsk accords" and searching for ways to resolve what she called an "internal conflict," the "Kyiv war party implements the terror scenario, exacerbating the already difficult situation in the region."
Meanwhile, the so-called security forces of the "Donetsk People's Republic" reported on the arrest of "Ukrainian saboteurs" who militants claim are allegedly responsible for the death of terrorist leader Alexander Zakharchenko.
"Several people, Ukrainian saboteurs and related persons who are suspected of involvement in the attempt, were detained," as reported by Interfax, referring to the source in the terrorist organization.
Read alsoExpert predicts when and how "DPR" terrorist chief Zakharchenko to be toppled
At the same time, on August 28, that is, three days before the deadly blast, Ukrainian military columnist Yuriy Karin said the Kremlin would likely appoint someone more convenient for further negotiations with Ukraine instead of head of the "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") terrorist organization Alexander Zakharchenko in September.
"According to recently received data of the Information Resistance analytical group, the Kremlin will appoint a more convenient candidate instead of Zakharchenko in the coming weeks, [it will be] a specially trained person for coming to an understanding with a new, pro-Russian president of Ukraine. That is, it will be a figure without a bad background, criminal records and blood on his hands," Karin said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, leader of the "DPR" Alexander Zakharchenko was blown up in a Separ restaurant on Pushkin Street in the militant-held Donetsk.
The warlord died at a local hospital, where he was taken immediately after the explosion.
No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported in the past 24 hours.
There was de-escalation in eastern Ukraine as Russian-led forces mounted 12 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas in the past day.
"The situation in the area of the operation had signs of stabilization and remained fully controlled by the Joint Forces in the past day, August 30," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on August 31, 2018.
Read alsoCertain stabilization reported on first day of "back to school" ceasefire
There have been no casualties among Ukrainian servicemen, it said.
Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to attack the defenders of the villages of Krymske, Novotoshkivske, Luhanske, Mayorsk, Shumy, Pisky, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, and Vodiane.
"The occupiers have significantly reduced the number of attacks, although they did not halt them completely amid the 'back-to-school' ceasefire. The units of the Joint Forces adhere to their ceasefire commitments," the report said.
"Since Friday midnight, Russian-led forces have already mounted one attack from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms on the Ukrainian positions outside the village of Hnutove. No casualties among the Ukrainian troops have been reported," the press center said.
The Russian Federation refuses to fulfill its Minsk commitments.
Acting Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Gregory Macris has said Russia continues to block the expansion of OSCE observation on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
"The United States finds it deeply regrettable that the Russian Federation continues to block the expansion of the geographic scope of the Observer Mission, despite the clear, strong, and continued support from other participating States to do so. We once again must accept an inadequate, limited-scope mission covering just two border checkpoints, which together account for only a few hundred meters of the 2,300 kilometer Ukrainian-Russian border, much of which Ukraine does not control," Macris said in a statement to the Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, on August 30, 2018.
Read alsoOSCE reports 85 violations of truce in Donbas from Sunday to Monday evening
He made the statement in connection the extension of deployment of OSCE observers to two Russian checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian border, the U.S. Mission to the OSCE reported.
According to Macris, due to Russia's unwarranted restrictions of the border Observer Mission's work, the Mission will continue to be unable to ascertain the full extent to which Russia is participating in or facilitating the flow of arms, funding, and personnel to support the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
"We note that Point 4 of the Minsk Protocol delineates a clear role for the OSCE to monitor and verify both sides of the Ukrainian-Russian international border, and to create a security zone in the border areas of Russia and Ukraine. There are strong linkages between ceasefire monitoring and border monitoring, and it is to the detriment of all efforts to resolve the conflict that the OSCE approach to these activities has been impeded by one participating State. The Russian Federation's repeated refusal to allow expansion of the scope of this mission shows, regrettably, once again, that it refuses to fulfill its Minsk commitments," he added.
A U.S. withdrawal from the WTO potentially would be far more significant for the global economy than even Trump's growing trade war with China.
President Donald Trump said he would pull out of the World Trade Organization if it doesn't treat the U.S. better, targeting a cornerstone of the international trading system.
"If they don't shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO," Trump said Thursday in an Oval Office interview with Bloomberg News. Trump said the agreement establishing the body "was the single worst trade deal ever made."
A U.S. withdrawal from the WTO potentially would be far more significant for the global economy than even Trump's growing trade war with China, undermining the post-World War II system that the U.S. helped build.
Read alsoUkraine appeals WTO decision in dispute with Russia on fertilizer duties
Trump said last month that the U.S. is at a big disadvantage from being treated "very badly" by the WTO for many years and that the Geneva-based body needs to "change their ways."
In the Oval Office interview, Trump said at the WTO "we rarely won a lawsuit except for last year."
"In the last year, we're starting to win a lot," he added. "You know why? Because they know if we don't, I'm out of there."
Countries that bring complaints to the WTO tend to prevail and defendants in trade disputes lose.
The U.S. has won more than 90 percent of the cases that it has initiated and also brought more cases than any other WTO member, according to the Cato Institute, a Washington policy group that favors more open international trade. However, the U.S. has lost almost 90 percent of the cases brought against it at the WTO.
A European Parliament resolution says it is "crucial to maintain a unified EU time regime".
The EU Commission is proposing to end the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn after a survey found most Europeans opposed it.
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said millions "believe that in future, summer time should be year-round, and that's what will happen", the BBC reported.
The Commission's proposal requires support from the 28 national governments and MEPs to become law.
In the EU clocks switch between winter and summer under daylight saving time.
A European Parliament resolution says it is "crucial to maintain a unified EU time regime".
Read also"Doomsday Clock" now 30 seconds closer to midnight
However, the Commission has not yet announced details of the proposed change. In a consultation paper it said one option would be to let each member state decide whether to go for permanent summer or winter time.
But the Commission warns that uncoordinated time changes between member states would cause economic harm.
In the survey, reported by German ZDF television, 80% of the 4.6 million respondents called for scrapping the spring and autumn clock change.
The UK is one of the 28 nations, but is due to leave the European Union in March 2019. Any change would be unlikely to happen before then.
Some studies cited by the Commission point to adverse health impacts from the clock changes.
"Findings suggest that the effect on the human biorhythm may be more severe than previously thought," it says.
Clocks go forward by an hour on the last Sunday in March and switch back to winter time on the last Sunday in October.
Finland called for daylight saving to be abolished EU-wide, after a petition gathered more than 70,000 signatures from citizens calling for such a change.
Daylight saving was introduced in 1980 based on the argument that it would reduce energy costs. But the Commission says the data on energy-saving is inconclusive.
There is also no reliable evidence that the clock changes reduce traffic accidents, the Commission says.
Sam Patten was charged under Foreign Agents Registration Act.
A Republican political consultant linked to Paul Manafort, who also once worked for Cambridge Analytica, has been charged with operating illegally in the U.S. as an agent for pro-Russia politicians from Ukraine.
Sam Patten is accused of willfully acting as an agent for the Ukrainian political party Opposition Bloc between 2014 and this year, according to a filing to federal court in Washington DC on Friday, according to The Guardian.
Patten, 47, was charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (Fara) by failing to register with the US government as an agent for a foreign country.
The charge was brought by the U.S. attorneys office in the capital. The case was referred to that office by Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian election interference, links between Trump aides and Moscow and potential obstruction of justice by the president.
Patten formed a consulting company in the U.S. with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian political operative with alleged ties to the countrys intelligence services. Kilimnik also worked extensively with Manafort, the former chairman of Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.
Read alsoUSA Today: Jury finds former Trump campaign manager guilty on eight counts in tax fraud case
U.S. prosecutors said Pattens company was paid $1m for advising Opposition Bloc and lobbying U.S. politicians on its behalf. The funds were allegedly paid via an offshore account in Cyprus from a prominent Ukraine oligarch who is an Opposition Bloc member.
Patten allegedly worked to set up meetings for Kilimnik and the Ukrainian oligarch with state department officials and members of Congress, including senators on the foreign relations committee and House members on the foreign affairs committee.
According to the filing, Patten also drafted op-ed articles for the oligarch and succeeded in having at least one published by a national American media outlet in February 2017.
Patten is accused of knowing he was required to register under Fara but failing to do so after the Ukrainian oligarch said he did not want them to until an unspecified future date.
Kilimnik is charged alongside Manafort in a separate criminal case brought in Washington by Mueller. Earlier this month, Manafort was convicted on eight counts of bank and tax fraud arising from the Mueller investigation.
Patten also carried out work for Cambridge Analytica, the now-defunct consultancy that is under scrutiny for its work on Trumps 2016 election campaign.
Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited (PMEX)'s commodity index on Thursday closed at 3,436 points; with traded value of metals, energy and COTS/FX recorded at Rs 6.444 billion.
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited (PMEX)'s commodity index on Thursday closed at 3,436 points; with traded value of metals, energy and COTS/FX recorded at Rs 6.444 billion.
The number of lots traded was 8,613, said a statement on Friday. (Data is compiled and released after 24 hours.
) The major business was contributed by gold amounting to Rs 1.693 billion, followed by WTI crude oil Rs 1.475 billion, NSDQ100 Rs 1.134 billion, currencies through COTS Rs 1.006 billion, DJ Rs 488.336 million, silver Rs 296.987 million, copper Rs 196.177 million, platinum Rs 81.734 million, SP500 Rs 35.745 million, natural gas Rs 26.341 million and Brent crude oil Rs 8.990 million.
In agriculture, 3 lots of cotton amounting to Rs 1.530 million were traded.
(@FahadShabbir)
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, it was noted during the conversation that in the first half of 2018 Russia's trade with Syria increased by over 25 percent to $226.7 million, the Russian cabinet said on its website Friday.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, it was noted during the conversation that in the first half of 2018 Russia's trade with Syria increased by over 25 percent to $226.7 million, the Russian cabinet said on its website Friday.
"During the conversation, it was noted that, despite the difficult military and political situation in Syria, the indicators of bilateral trade are growing," the statement said.
According to the Economic Development Ministry, "in the first half of 2018, Russia's trade with Syria against the same period in 2017 increased by more than 25 percent to $226.7 million."
Brisk shipping was recorded at the Port Qasim where six ships APL Antwerp, Hugo Schulte, African Jacana, Jin Tao, Gas Amazon and Sun Ploeg scheduled to load/offload Containers, Cement, Coal and Palm oil were arranged berthing at Qasim International Container Terminal, Multi-Purpose Terminal, Pakistan International Bulk Terminal, Engro Vopak Terminal and Liquid Cargo Terminal respectively on Thursday, 30th August-2018.
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Brisk shipping was recorded at the Port Qasim where six ships APL Antwerp, Hugo Schulte, African Jacana, Jin Tao, Gas Amazon and Sun Ploeg scheduled to load/offload Containers, Cement, Coal and Palm oil were arranged berthing at Qasim International Container Terminal, Multi-Purpose Terminal, Pakistan International Bulk Terminal, Engro Vopak Terminal and Liquid Cargo Terminal respectively on Thursday, 30th August-2018.
Meanwhile, three more ships Songa Calabria, Chemroad Haya and Al-Daayen carrying Containers, Phosphoric Acid and LNG also arrived at outer anchorage of Port Qasim during last 24 hours.
Berth occupancy remained high side at the Port where a total of twelve ships namely APL Antwerp, Hugo Schulte, African Jacana, GH Galileo, Parnassos, Maritime Prosperity, Jin Tao, Cecilia-B, Royal Lady, Gas Amazon, Sun Ploeg and Shalamar are currently occupying PQA berths to load/offload Containers, Cement, Coal, Soya been, Bitumen, Chemicals, Palm oil and Furnace oil respectively during last 24 hours.
Cargo throughput during last 24 hours stood at 181,251 tonnes, comprising 146,770 tonnes import cargo and 34,481 tonnes export cargo inclusive of containerized cargo carried in 2,800 Containers (TEUs), (1,500 TEUs Imports and 1,300 carrier Gas Amazon sailed out to sea on Friday morning while five more ships Hugo Schulte, APL Antwerp, Royal Lady, GH Galileo and Shalamar are expected to sail on same day in the afternoon.
Five ships Songa Calabria, CMA CGM Fidelio, Darya Tiana, Al-Daaen and Chemroad Haya carrying Containers, Coal, LNG, and Chemicals are expected to take berths at QICT, PQEPT, EVTL and EETL respectively on Friday, 31st August, while two more ships Libra and GH Chinook with containers are due to arrive at Port Qasim on Saturday,1st August- 2018 exports) was handled at the Port.
(@FahadShabbir)
President of AJK Sardar Masood Khan Thursday paid tribute to war veteran Sepoy Maqbool Hussain who was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard near Trar Khel town in Poonch district on Wednesday night, said a press note issued by the government here.
MUZAFFARABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Aug, 2018 ) :President of AJK Sardar Masood Khan Thursday paid tribute to war veteran Sepoy Maqbool Hussain who was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard near Trar Khel town in Poonch district on Wednesday night, said a press note issued by the government here.
The funeral prayer of national hero and brave soldier of Pak army was offered at Murshad Abad of Narian Sharif near the town and was attended by President Masood Khan, Major General Azhar Abbas GOC 12 div, commanders of local military brigades, civil official and large number of local residents before his burial with full military honor.
"Death of our hero and brave war veteran left us with heavy hearts but our heads are up high at the same time because of the great sacrifice he rendered for the country," Khan said in his briefspeech before the funeral prayer.
The Third meeting of the Joint Emirati-Turkmenistan Political Consultation Committee began today in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.
ASHGABAT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 31st Aug, 2018) The Third meeting of the Joint Emirati-Turkmenistan Political Consultation Committee began today in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.
The meeting was co-chaired by Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Jarman, Assistant Minister for Human Rights and International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Matiev Berdenaaz, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan.
Ahmed Al Hameli, Director of West Asia Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MOFAIC, attended the meeting.
The two sides discussed various aspects of co-operation between the two friendly countries and ways to enhance them, especially in the investment, energy, transportation, communication and cultural and educational exchange fields, which would contribute to serving mutual interests. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.
Al Jarman said that the UAE - led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - gives prime attention to developing ties with Turkmenistan in all domains while indicating that relations between the two countries are based on strong pillars of understanding and joint interests and are witnessing significant development thanks to the will of the leaders of both countries.
He also expressed satisfaction at the recently signed Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Memorandum of Understating, MoU, on mutual exemption of visas for holders of diplomatic, VIP, and special passports between the two sides, which confirmed the growing bilateral relations in a manner that enhances joint co-operation.
He also called for benefiting from the competitive potentials and the remarkable growth achieved by economies of the two countries in order to expand the base of mutual co-operation and ways to enhance it in the economic, commercial and cultural fields and encourage exchange of visits of official delegations to take advantage of the advanced and stimulating potentials that will contribute to promoting them in various fields so as to meet the aspirations of the two friendly peoples.
In turn, Berdenaaz said that bilateral relations are given special attention by President of Turkmenistan, while lauding the UAE's overall cultural boom in all political, economic, cultural, and social sectors, which have made it an important economic and trade centre, a key investment destination for global and regional companies and a leading hub in the infrastructure, alternative energy sources and sustainable development domains.
He also noted that the UAE is a role model in the region, while praising the role being played by the country in the international humanitarian arena and its effective efforts to alleviating current humanitarian crises.
He expressed Turkmenistan's aspiration to build a long-term partnership with the UAE, which will expand horizons of co-operation in all fields between the two countries.
The two sides stressed the importance of continuous co-ordination and consultation between the two countries on issues of joint interest in various regional and international events, especially at the United Nations and its specialised organisations.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Al Jarman met with Rashid Meredov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, and discussed efforts being made at national, regional and international levels to counter terrorism and extremism while stressing the need for finding lasting solutions to the exacerbating crises in the region so as to enhance regional and world security and stability.
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The Ministry of Health and Prevention has issued a circular ordering the recall of Hamer Ginseng & Coffee Candy from the local markets for containing an undisclosed drug, NorTaldalafil, that is found to have negative side effects on patients with diabetes and heart diseases.
DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 31st Aug, 2018) The Ministry of Health and Prevention has issued a circular ordering the recall of Hamer Ginseng & Coffee Candy from the local markets for containing an undisclosed drug, NorTaldalafil, that is found to have negative side effects on patients with diabetes and heart diseases.
This was stated by Dr.
Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the UAE Ministry of Health's Public Health Policy and License Sector, who is also the Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Pharmaceutical Vigilance.
Dr Rokaya Al Bastaki, Director of the Medicine Department at the Ministry, said the circular has been issued following analytical reports that confirmed the product to contain NorTaldalafil, a drug that causes acute hypotension.
The food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already warned consumers against NorTaldalafil, she explained.
Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, led the UAE delegation during its official visit to Mongolia.
ULAANBAATAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 31st Aug, 2018) Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, led the UAE delegation during its official visit to Mongolia.
During the two-day visit, ways to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields were discussed.
The UAE delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, education and Knowledge Department-Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, ADFD, Abu Dhabi Health Services, Co., SEHA, and Al Dahra Holding.
Al Hashemy emphasised that the UAE, led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, are keen on developing cooperation with various countries around the world.
On Thursday, Al Hashemy met with President of Mongolia, Khaltmaagiin Battulga, Foreign Minister of Mongolia, Damdin Tsogtbaatar, and a number of senior officials. They tackled issues of mutual interest, investment opportunities and development projects in Mongolia, ways to develop relations, exchange of expertise, capacity-building, and other avenues, as well as establish partnerships in the best interest of the two friendly peoples.
The Mongolian President stressed the keenness of his country to develop ties in all fields especially achieving objectives of sustainable development and taking advantage of the UAE's potential and expertise.
He also lauded the overall cultural boom in all Emirati sectors.
The UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation indicated that the programme included a number of field visits by representatives of the government and private sectors to be acquainted on a number of joint development projects, to describe their expected effects and inputs required and to analyse their sustainability and risks.
The Abu Dhabi Development Fund, ADFD, has financed development projects in Mongolia, including the Taichir hydroelectric power station. The country also supported health centres in the Mongolian capital and community projects and carried out a number of seasonal and societal programmes through the UAE's humanitarian and charitable institutions.
The meeting was attended by Abdullah Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Tunaiji, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Mongolia, and Mohamed Salem Al Dhahiri, adviser to the Chairman of Education and knowledge Department; Rashid Al Humairi, Director of the Technical Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Rashid Al Kaabi, Director of Investment Department at ADFD; Dr. Ali Al Obaidli, Executive Director of the Academic Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), and Aisha Al Afifi Director of Private Projects at Al Dahra Holding.
Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan, Nawaf Saeed Bin Al Malkiy on Friday reiterated the commitment to play role in further strengthening the fraternal ties between the two brotherly countries.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan, Nawaf Saeed Bin Al Malkiy on Friday reiterated the commitment to play role in further strengthening the fraternal ties between the two brotherly countries.
During his visit to Pakistan Embassy, Riyadh, he also discussed with Pakistan Ambassador Khan Hasham Bin Saddique matters of mutual interest, a message received here from Riyadh said.
Both Ambassadors walked into the newly constructed Consular Hall of the Embassy. Ambassador Nawaf was briefed regarding details of available consular services and facilities.
The Ambassador appreciated the standard of the services and the ambience of the Consular Hall.
Applicants present in the Consular Hall, especially Pakistani expatriates, were jubilant to see the Saudi Ambassador among themselves.
They gathered around the Ambassador Nawaf and expressed their gratitude for Royal family and people of Saudi Arabia. The Pakistani community also shared with the Ambassadors some of the problems being faced by them, most importantly high family visa fee charged by Saudi Embassy in Pakistan.
Both Ambassadors attentively listened to the people and vowed to play active role to addressall Community issues. Many applicants took selfies with the Ambassador Nawaf.
The Ambassador Nawaf thanked people for their love and contribution in the development and progress of the Kingdom over the years.
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Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Amjad Javed Saleemi on Friday directed the officers concerned to enhance security on the occasion of annual Urs of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi.
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Amjad Javed Saleemi on Friday directed the officers concerned to enhance security on the occasion of annual Urs of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi.
He ordered to strengthen security measures including police picketing, patrolling, snap checking, intelligence collection and sharing and others to ensure safety of lives and properties of citizens.
Keeping in view that devotees would be coming to attend Urs from across the country, IGP asked to increase security at the entry and exit points of the province for ensuring safety of devotees.
The police chief directed all the Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGPs) for provision of needed logistic support so that quicker police response could be ensured.
Besides this, Amjad Javed Saleemi said that security around mosques, Imam Bargahs, shrines and worship places of minorities should be enhanced and the deployed police personnel should be well briefed.
It merits to be mentioned over here that the three-day annual Urs of famous Saint Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi would begin on September 1 at the shrine of saint in Clifton.
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Investigation Police Kahna and CIA Iqbal Town arrested four accused involved in murder and attempt murder cases.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) : ):Investigation Police Kahna and CIA Iqbal Town arrested four accused involved in murder and attempt murder cases.
SSP Investigation Awais Ahmad said this while talking to the media men at Qilla Gujjar Singh Investigation Headquarters here on Friday.
He said that DSP CIA Iqbal Town led a special police team which conducted a raid and arrested Bism Nazim who molested an eight-year-old boy and later injured him with a sharp- edged weapons.
The accused had also molested other boys and later killed them.
The SSP said that Incharge Investigation Kahna arrested Raza, Waris and Sohail involved in a murder case. The accused had come to Lahore and took a car on rent. Later, when they reached Chak Jhumra, district Faisalabad, they snatched a mobile phone from Mehmood and killed him, and later threw his body in drainage.
SSP Investigation Awais Ahmad has announced commendatory certificates for the raiding teams.
Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday received Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif, for a meeting, who conveyed to him the greetings and best wishes of the people and leadership of Iran on assuming the office.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday received Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif, for a meeting, who conveyed to him the greetings and best wishes of the people and leadership of Iran on assuming the office.
He stated that Iran wished continued progress and prosperity to the people of Pakistan. Javad Zarif delivered a message of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, inviting the Prime Minister for the upcoming Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit in Iran, in October 2018.
Both Pakistan and Iran are members of the organization. Iran currently holds the Chair of the organization. Welcoming the Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked the Iranian Supreme Leader's support for Kashmiri's struggle for self-determination as well as for the manner in which Pakistan Independence Day was celebrated in Iran. The prime minister thanked the Foreign Minister for the sincere wishes.
Recalling his recent telephonic conversation with President Rouhani, Prime Minister Imran said that Pakistan and Iran were connected by inseparable bonds of historic, religious and cultural affinities.
He added that during his tenure, Pakistan would make all efforts to cement these relations in various areas to the benefit of both countries. The prime minister emphasized on restoring complete peace and stability in the region.
As land bridges between economically resource-rich regions, together with other regional partners, Pakistan and Iran remained the key to growth and prosperity in the region through enhancing connectivity and promoting people-to-people linkages, he added.
Referring to cancellation of blasphemous Dutch caricatures competition following the Government of Pakistan's strong condemnation and protest recently, the prime minister underlined the need for the Muslim countries to confront Islamophobia with one voice.
The love and respect of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), was part of every Muslim's faith and no one could be allowed to disrespect it, he added.
Zarif arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for the visit. Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Iran and is desirous to promote them in all areas.
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Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on Thursday said that new local bodies (LB) system in the province would be transparent and it would be established on sound footing with proper checks and balances on financial and administrative affairs.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Aug, 2018 ) :Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on Thursday said that new local bodies (LB) system in the province would be transparent and it would be established on sound footing with proper checks and balances on financial and administrative affairs.
He stated this while presiding over a meeting of the Local Bodies Department at his office. The meeting also discussed in detail recommendations for the proposed local bodies system.
The senior minister said that as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, there would be direct election of tehsil and district heads, for which each citizen would be voting.
Similarly, MNAs and MPAs would not be given development funds and almost all development works would be done through the local bodies members, the minister added.
He asked the officers to prepare solid recommendations within 24 hours so that those could be presented to the prime minister.
He said that a comparative study of London, New York and other international cities' local bodies systems would be carried out to ascertain something new and practicable to make visible the change at local level.
Aleem Khan said monitoring and audit system should also be devised in which elected representative might be included. He said that the union council size should also be reduced; there should be 5 to 6 elected persons in a union council and the population size should be 20,000 to 25,000 people.
He said that construction of street, drainage, 'soling' and street-lights should be the domain of union council, while water supply and municipality works should be done by the tehsil administration.
He said that the previous government did nothing to empower the local bodies representatives and only Rs 300,000 were being given to them.
Earlier, Abdul Aleem Khan was given ab riefing by Secretary Local Government Arif AnwarBaloch and other senior officers.
Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum here Friday suggested for probing the matter of import, pricing and long-term contract agreement for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) between Pakistan and Qatar Gas by involving the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum here Friday suggested for probing the matter of import, pricing and long-term contract agreement for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) between Pakistan and Qatar Gas by involving the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The committee met here with Mohsin Aziz in the chair, discussed in detail the import pricing and long term contract with Qatar Gas and present LNG supply prices per Million Meters British Thermal Units (MMBUT) based on current crude oil price and Dollar rupee parity.
Senator Mohsin observed that some things were documented and some were not documented and proper expertise were required to look into the matter as a lot of technicalities were involved in the multi-billion import deal.
He said that the last meeting of the committee, which was held in-camera due to confidentiality of some clauses of the agreement had reveled nothing and asked the official concerned to apprise the meeting about such clauses if these really exist.
Meanwhile, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the meeting that NAB was probing into the matter and ministry would cooperate in this regard.
The minister said that he had held a meeting with the oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and discussed the details about the projects being executed in Balochistan province and status of such projects after the 18th constitutional amendment.
He said that by the next week he would also visit the province and review all the agreements as the government was determined to provide the maximum benefit of these projects to the people of Balochistan and ensure their socio-economic uplift.
The minister said that a special focus had been paid on energy sector in Prime Minister first 100-day plan and a special task force would also be formed in the ministry, which would monitor the grant of license and implementation of the work on those projects to exploit the existing energy reserves to overcome the power shortage.
The Secretary Committee said that the committee would review the issuance of licenses and implementation and progress of the projects after every three months in order to expedite the pace of work on these oil and gas projects.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of OGDCL informed that committee that work on 7 blocks for exploration of oil and gas was in progress and some reserves were also discovered with low gas pressure.
The senior official of the Ministry of Petroleum apprised the committee about the pricing mechanism of petroleum products and was told that it was linked with international market prices of petroleum products published in the platts oilgram.
The meeting was attended by the Senators Sardar Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhe, ShamimAfridi, AttaUr Rahman, Taj Muhammad Afridi.
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Head of mission United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Pakistan Abdul Aziz Al-Neiyadi called on Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam here on Friday and discussed the areas of mutual cooperation between Pakistan and UAE including houbara bustard and environment.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Head of mission United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Pakistan Abdul Aziz Al-Neiyadi called on Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam here on Friday and discussed the areas of mutual cooperation between Pakistan and UAE including houbara bustard and environment.
Federal Secretary Climate Change Khizar Hayat Khan was also present in the meeting, said a press release.
Advisor to the PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that Pakistan attaches high value to its friendly relations with UAE and wishes to further take them to new heights especially in the area of environment.
Malik Amin Aslam said: "We are initiating a mass plantation project and ten billion trees would be planted throughout the country during five years to make the environment more safer".
UAE envoy said that his government attaches highest priority to the environment and eager to cooperate with Pakistan in the field, adding that UAE also ready to sign MoU with Ministry of Climate Change in this regard.
The UAE ambassador congratulated the advisor to PM on Climate Change on assuming the charge of the Ministry.
Appreciating the endeavors of the government, the UAE envoy said that pro environmental initiatives of the current government are highly commendable and UAE attaches immense importanceto its relations with Pakistan and would keep on extending its support to utilise huge economicpotential in Pakistan for the mutual benefit of both the nations.
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Archived files released by the Clinton Digital Library show two former presidents, Bill Clinton of the United States and Boris Yeltsin of Russia, navigate the often difficult waters of US-Russian relations and grapple with issues some of which remain at the forefront of the international diplomacy years later.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Archived files released by the Clinton Digital library show two former presidents, Bill Clinton of the United States and Boris Yeltsin of Russia, navigate the often difficult waters of US-Russian relations and grapple with issues some of which remain at the forefront of the international diplomacy years later.
Russia's worry about NATO expansion can be seen in records of these conversations.
"Our position has not changed. It remains a mistake for NATO to move eastward. But I need to take steps to alleviate the negative consequences of this for Russia. I am prepared to enter into an agreement with NATO not because I want to but because it is a forced step. There is no other solution for today," Yeltsin said.
The then-president of Russia stressed that the agreement would need to be legally binding and signed by all allies. He urged NATO to take Russia's interests into account when making any decisions.
"Also, nuclear and conventional arms cannot move eastward into new members to the borders of Russia, thus creating a new cordon sanitaire aimed at Russia. But one thing is very important: enlargement should also not embrace the former Soviet republics. I cannot sign any agreement without such language. Especially Ukraine. If you get them involved, it will create difficulties in our talks with Ukraine on a number of issues," Yeltsin said.
The former Russian president said that Moscow had been concerned with activities of then-NATO chief Javier Solana in Central Asia. Solana reportedly went to the regional governments to tell them that NATO expansion would not be a threat.
"He was pursuing an anti-Russian course. I understand the complexity of this issue, but we have no territorial or hegemonic claims on them or any other country. We are carrying out a well-tested policy with CIS countries and the Baltics, based on trust. We have various plans with countries of the former Soviet Union based on trust. That trust should remain. Our relations with the CIS and with the Baltic countries should be like yours within NATO," Yeltsin said.
Clinton attempted to assuage his counterpart's concerns by stressing that his purpose was to "create a new NATO that would not be a threat to Russia but that would permit the United States and Canada to stay in Europe and work with Russia and other countries."
"I've tried to reassure you, the Russian government and the Russian people that I'm trying to change NATO. The most important steps in that regard are, first, the language in the statement on nuclear weapons - the three no's. Second, the language on conventional forces, which reflects a very carefully considered position that we've worked out in NATO. Third, the fact of the NATO-Russia charter itself - which will redirect the mission of NATO. Fourth, the proposal by NATO on adapting the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe tabled in Vienna," Clinton said.
The worries did not end there. At one point, Yeltsin brought up the State Department's alleged attempts to prevent Russia from expanding trade relations with its Eastern neighbors.
"Bill, I am aware that the State Department made a decision and the Embassy here held a meeting whose agenda included measures to prevent the 'exit' (opening) of Russia to the East. I think that is unacceptable in relations between partners. It is up to each country to decide what kind of relations it wants, especially in trade and commerce. Each country should decide with which country to trade. Besides, we agreed we would solve such things between you and me, even over the phone," Yeltsin said.
Clinton said he wanted Russia to be more involved in Asia.
"I don't know what the State Department issue is. But let me assure you, I want you to be more involved in Asia, not less. I'm on my way to Vancouver right now for APEC [the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum]. I want you to be in APEC, and I hope we can work out WTO as well. I want Russia more involved in the Asia-Pacific region," the then-president of the United States said.
Yeltsin was deeply concerned by the airstrikes in Serbia during the Balkan crisis.
"I know that you oppose what we are doing, but I want you to know that I am determined to do whatever I can to keep our disagreement on this from ruining everything else we have done and can do together in the coming years," Clinton implored.
The Russian leader stressed that political discussions were needed instead of airstrikes.
"Yes, Bill, it is a great pity for me. We have been for so long working in each other's direction. We have done a great deal. I have reached agreement with the State Duma with regards to START II, and on the sixth of April, they were supposed to ratify that Treaty. This time around that will not happen, of course, under the circumstances," Yeltsin said.
The Clinton-Yeltsin conversations show the early inklings that there might be a tighter Russian-Japanese cooperation to come.
"I talked to [then-Prime Minister of Japan, Ryutaro] Hashimoto yesterday. I think he wants a genuinely better relationship. I think he understands that, after the NATO-Russia progress, there should be progress on the Russia-Japan front. He understands Japan has a lot to gain," Clinton said.
The former US president said Japan might be concerned over Russian-Chinese relationship, fearing that it could be "to Japan's disadvantage."
"There is a possibility for Russia to have a positive relationship with Japan, at least as positive as that with China. Japan is looking for some indication of Russian interest or for a process to improve the relationship," Clinton said.
Yeltsin pointed out he had worked hard for good relations with China.
"We are lowering arms all along our long border. As for Japan, I will work with Hashimoto for a closer relationship. Perhaps we can spend a weekend together, maybe at Baikal. We need steps to improve our relations," Yeltsin said.
The declassified conversations refer to the two countries' relations with Iran. Since then, a deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions has been negotiated, agreed, enforced and, most recently, tested by the US withdrawal.
"The relations between Russian and Iran are essentially those as between a country and a close neighbor. I am opposed to the criticism that Russia sells missiles to Iran. We will never do that. We will sell them submarines, two of these 877 class submarines, and we will go ahead with the nuclear power station," Yeltsin told Clinton.
Clinton raised an issue of intelligence indicating that some dangerous technologies may have "reached Iran from Russia, although it wasn't necessarily clear that this was coming from the Russian Government."
"Categorically no. That technology could be coming from North Korea or China but not from Russia. I know. Bill, you have recently received such intelligence. The Israeli Prime Minister was here, too, and said something about all of this, but I have looked into it, and there is absolutely nothing of the kind," Yeltsin said, interrupting.
The former Russian president added that the United States appeared to be building a relationship with Iran as well.
"I've always been willing to talk to them as long as when we talk to them terrorism is one of the issues on the agenda, but they always refuse. I can't be in the position of talking to the Iranians in ways that might make it seem that we're acquiescent in Iranian behavior that threatens our people, our friends and our allies that could make all of us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks," Clinton said.
The conversation veered off toward more personal subjects at times.
"I noticed that you've gotten thinner. But you need to eat something," Clinton admonished his counterpart.
Yeltsin explained that he was not eating much in the morning or at night.
At another point, Clinton complimented his counterpart on his good shape.
"I lost 30 kilograms [66 lb]. But my brain is working fast, and I would say that now I am moving with more energy. I am a bit older," Yeltsin said.
Clinton called Yeltsin on December 31, 1999, the day that the Russian president announced his resignation.
"I know this has been a tough but courageous decision. I just wanted to say I read your statement this morning. I'm sad, but I am very proud of you," Clinton said.
Yeltsin thanked the then-US president for the call and expressed hope they would meet again.
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Albania, Montenegro, Norway and Ukraine decided to adhere to the European Union's July 5 decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia until January 31, the Council of the European Union said in a statement on Friday.
BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Albania, Montenegro, Norway and Ukraine decided to adhere to the European Union's July 5 decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia until January 31, the Council of the European Union said in a statement on Friday.
On July 5, the Council adopted a decision to extend economic sanctions on Russia's financial, energy and defense sectors for another six months until January 31, 2019. These sanctions were first introduced in 2014.
"The Candidate Countries Montenegro and Albania, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, align themselves with this declaration.
They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it," the statement said.
Since 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of sanctions on Moscow since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014. Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict was another justification for the measures. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the West's sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.
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The authorities of Central African Republic (CAR) are ready to continue reconciliation talks with armed groups operating in the country, government spokesman Ange Maxime Kazagui told Sputnik on Friday.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) The authorities of Central African Republic (CAR) are ready to continue reconciliation talks with armed groups operating in the country, government spokesman Ange Maxime Kazagui told Sputnik on Friday.
The CAR's two main armed groups - Christian anti-Balaka militia and Muslim Seleka armed faction - have recently held a Russia-brokered peace meeting in Khartoum. The two-day meeting concluded on Wednesday with the signing of a declaration of understanding in which the groups committed themselves to peace.
"The car government was not invited to these talks in Khartoum, it did not participate in them, We were not ready for it. And since we did not participate, we can not comment on the meeting," Kazagui said.
"But we are already negotiating with armed groups. Several meetings have already been held, and new discussions with them are being prepared. Leaders of armed groups handed their proposals to the [CAR] president today, and this will help facilitate the negotiation process," the official stressed.
United opposition of the Central African Republic (CAR) urges Russia to take part in the peace settlement process in the country, a joint declaration, adopted by leaders of Christian anti-Balaka militia and Muslim Seleka armed faction, has said.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) United opposition of the Central African Republic (CAR) urges Russia to take part in the peace settlement process in the country, a joint declaration, adopted by leaders of Christian anti-Balaka militia and Muslim Seleka armed faction, has said.
The CAR's two main armed groups held a Russia-brokered peace meeting in Khartoum. The two-day meeting concluded on Wednesday with the signing of a declaration of understanding in which the groups committed themselves to peace.
According to the document obtained by Sputnik, Seleka and anti-Balaka groups have agreed to create the Central African Union - a joint platform to hold consultations and take actions to ensure peace in the CAR.
"We, the Central African Union, invite the authorities of the Central African Republic and its government, the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, the European Union, France, Russia, the entire international community, the partner of the Central African Republic to work together to implement the basic aspects of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the car within a reasonable time frame," the declaration read.
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Chile is home to four-fifths of South America's glaciers and has some of the largest ice fields in the world outside the polar regions, but they are coming under threat from mining industry dust.
Santiago, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Chile is home to four-fifths of South America's glaciers and has some of the largest ice fields in the world outside the polar regions, but they are coming under threat from mining industry dust.
Climatologist Fabrice Lambert from Chile's Catholic University believes that the country's 24,114 glaciers are in danger from mining activity, although the direct cause and effect are hard to establish.
"The dust generated by mining can settle on the glaciers, covering the white surface so the particles absorb solar energy that results in rapid glacial melting," Lambert told AFP.
It's a problem because "some glaciers in Chile are close to mines," he says.
Sara Larrain, director at the Sustainable Chile environmental NGO, says the country needs legislation like its neighbor Argentina to protect its glaciers, but says such proposals keep getting stonewalled by the powerful mining sector.
"Since 2005, there have been six or seven glacial protection projects presented to senators or deputies but every time they've been blocked by the mining sector," she said.
Joaquin Villarino, president of Chile's Mining Council, says such laws aren't necessary.
"More than 70 percent of mining activity takes place in areas where there are no glaciers," he said.
In any case, under current legislation "there is certain protection that prevents mining companies from damaging existing glaciers." For Lambert, there's a happy medium to be struck somewhere.
"They're not going to close the mines within the next five years, but we need to find a way to protect the glaciers without destroying the mining industry, which is essential to the country's economy."Chile's economy depends on mining. It's the world's biggest producer of copper with around 5.6 million tons, a third of global production.
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Colombia President Ivan Duque reiterated on Thursday his call for ELN Marxist rebels to release hostages as a prerequisite to restarting suspended Cuban-hosted peace talks.
Bogota, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2018 ) :Colombia President Ivan Duque reiterated on Thursday his call for ELN Marxist rebels to release hostages as a prerequisite to restarting suspended Cuban-hosted peace talks.
Duque said he would only speak to the guerrillas if they "suspend all criminal activities" and agree to "demobilize, disarm and reinsert" into civilian life.
But the starting point for that is "the liberation of hostages." "We cannot legitimize violence as a mechanism to put pressure on the state," said Duque during a press conference with Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The ELN, the last recognized rebel group fighting government forces since the 2016 peace accord with FARC guerrillas, said two weeks ago it was prepared to release the nine hostages: four military, three police, and two civilian contractors.
But since then they have failed to agree with the government on the security protocols to carry out the handover.
The Czech authorities are expected to decide on the financing of the construction of a new unit at one of the country's nuclear power plants (NPPs) by the end of this year, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Marta Novakova said on Friday.
PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) The Czech authorities are expected to decide on the financing of the construction of a new unit at one of the country's nuclear power plants (NPPs) by the end of this year, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Marta Novakova said on Friday.
"The government should decide on a basic funding model for the construction of a new power unit by the end of this year. [The decision] will be followed by talks with the European Commission," Novakova said.
The minister said in July that by the end of the year the Czech government would decide on launching a tender for the construction of a new power unit.
Six foreign companies, including Russian nuclear giant Rosatom, French EDF energy company and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power company, said they would like to submit their bids.
The Czech Republic is currently operating two nuclear power plants. The first is the Temelin NPP consisting of two power units with VVER-1000 reactors with a total capacity of 2,160 MW and the second is the Dukovany NPP, which has four power units with a total capacity of 2,040 MW.
Oscow will continue to support the process of national reconciliation in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday after the CAR's two main armed groups held a Russia-brokered peace meeting in Khartoum.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Moscow will continue to support the process of national reconciliation in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday after the CAR's two main armed groups held a Russia-brokered peace meeting in Khartoum.
The two-day meeting between Christian anti-Balaka militia and Muslim Seleka armed faction concluded on Wednesday with the signing of a declaration of understanding in which the groups committed themselves to peace.
"Russia, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a participant in the International Support Group for the car, will continue to support the national reconciliation process that has started in this country, in coordination with the leadership of Sudan, the African Union as well as the UN and its Security Council," the statement read.
The sectarian conflict in the African country deteriorated in March 2013, when the Muslim Seleka rebels seized control of the capital, overthrowing then-President Francois Bozize, provoking a backlash from the Christian anti-Balaka militia.
It is necessary to start lifting UN sanctions against Eritrea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.
SOCHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) It is necessary to start lifting UN sanctions against Eritrea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.
"Certainly, against the backdrop of radical positive developments in the area of the Horn of Africa in the past months, especially between Eritrea and Ethiopia, we consider it necessary, in practical terms, to start lifting those sanctions that were introduced by the UN Security Council," Lavrov said at a press conference with Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh.
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New Zealand allowed US whitsleblower Chelsea Manning, who had provided classified information to WikiLeaks and served seven years in prison for the offense, to apply for a visa for her speaking tour just as Australia sent out a notice of intention to deny her entry, media reported on Friday.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) New Zealand allowed US whitsleblower Chelsea Manning, who had provided classified information to WikiLeaks and served seven years in prison for the offense, to apply for a visa for her speaking tour just as Australia sent out a notice of intention to deny her entry, media reported on Friday.
On Thursday, Manning's event organizer said she was barred from entering Australia, whose government decided that she would not meet the character requirements set out in the Migration Act.
Immigration New Zealand judged that Manning had not committed any crimes since her release from US prison and was not likely to commit any while in New Zealand, the Guardian newspaper reported, citing visa assessment document.
Manning, formerly a US soldier, was given a 35-year term, but released in May 2017 after then-president Barack Obama commuted her sentence.
Russian investigators could not confirm Poland's claims that there was an explosion on board Polish ex-president Lech Kaczynski's Tu-154M plane prior to a fatal crash in 2010, Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on Friday.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Russian investigators could not confirm Poland's claims that there was an explosion on board Polish ex-president Lech Kaczynski's Tu-154M plane prior to a fatal crash in 2010, Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on Friday.
"Russian investigators have no more questions about the cause of the crash. It was caused by multiple factors," Petrenko said.
They included the plane crew's failure to act in time and fly to an alternate airfield, as well as the mistakes they made during the low-visibility landing, according to the spokeswoman.
"Therefore, Poland wants an additional examination of the plane's debris, a request which we are prepared to fulfill within the framework of the close cooperation in this criminal investigation," Petrenko stressed.
Polish investigators are expected to examine the plane's debris in Smolensk on September 3-7. It will be their 12th visit to Russia.
In April, the Polish commission revisiting the investigation into the 2010 plane crash issued a report saying that it was caused by a mid-air explosion on the aircraft. The commission also said on June 5 that it had found traces of explosives on the aircraft wreckage as well as on the body of one of the victims of the crash.
On April 10, 2010, a Polish jet carrying Kaczynski, his wife and officials crashed amid heavy fog as it attempted to land at an airfield near Smolensk. All 96 people on board died in the crash.
Roscosmos State Space Corporation is discussing possible installation of a second patch on a small crack on the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS), Deputy CEO Sergei Krikalev told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Roscosmos State Space Corporation is discussing possible installation of a second patch on a small crack on the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS), Deputy CEO Sergei Krikalev told Sputnik.
On Thursday, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said an air leak and subsequent drop in pressure took place on Soyuz overnight. The cosmonauts subsequently found the crack, which had caused the incident, on a wall in the spacecraft's living section, where sanitary equipment was located.
"Everything is normal. The technology of patching hole itself is multistage, and the main step was made yesterday, the hole was patched up.
We and the US astronauts have special repair kits for such cases, we used what we had. We checked it yesterday - there are no additional leaks, pressure changes. To be sure, we are discussing placing a second layer over the patch that is already in place," Krikalev said.
The deputy CEO of Roscosmos also said that he had no information about the second microfracture on Soyuz, commenting on the relevant statement made by NASA.
"I have no information about the second blind [microfracture]. The photos, which I saw, show nothing," Krikalev added.
According to NASA, all ISS systems are stable and the crew is going to return to its regular schedule later on Friday.
EU sanctions against Moscow, to which Reykjavik is a party, are more harmful to Icelandic business than they are to Russian companies, Russia's Honorary Consul in Iceland Olafur Agust Andresson told Sputnik.
REYKJAVIK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) EU sanctions against Moscow, to which Reykjavik is a party, are more harmful to Icelandic business than they are to Russian companies, Russia's Honorary Consul in Iceland Olafur Agust Andresson told Sputnik.
"I am not happy with how Icelandic authorities are behaving on this. My opinion is that Iceland stay far away from these sanctions, without supporting either the EU or Russia ... I think this is hurting Iceland more than it is Russia. We see this now after several years of sanctions. We cannot sell our fish to Russia, we cannot do business as we used to," Andresson said.
Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated after 2014, when the Ukrainian crisis erupted and Crimea decided to rejoin Russia after holding a referendum. Moscow has insisted that Crimea's referendum was held in line with international standards, but Western states have refused to recognize the vote.
In 2014-2015, Iceland joined the European Union's sanctions against Russia. In response, Moscow expanded its retaliatory measures in 2015 to include Reykjavik. As a result, trade between countries fell from $267 million in 2014 to $33 million in 2016, mainly due to a steep fall in Iceland's herring sales to Russia.
Serbia remains committed to searching for a compromise in the dialogue with Kosovo as it will bring stability to the region and provide the countries with an opportunity to join the European Union, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday.
VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Serbia remains committed to searching for a compromise in the dialogue with Kosovo as it will bring stability to the region and provide the countries with an opportunity to join the European Union, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday.
"Serbia remains committed to [searching for] a compromise between Pristina and Belgrade because that will bring stability to the region as well as open a path to the European Union for us but we are not sure yet when that will happen," Dacic said after arriving at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Vienna, in which foreign ministers of states seeking EU membership are also taking place.
Kosovo proclaimed its independence from Serbia in 2008, which over 100 UN member states officially recognized, while Serbia still considers Kosovo as its Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
Normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a main precondition for their possible accession to the European Union.
In 2013, the Brussels Agreement on normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo was signed, which marked the beginning of cooperation. The European Union expects Belgrade and Pristina to reach the final agreement by spring 2019. The next meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Preisdent Hashim Thaci under the mediation of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is scheduled for September 7.
The United States believes Russia and Syria are hindering aid deliveries to the Rubkban refugee camp, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday, just one day after Russia's Defense Ministry said US forces were preventing humanitarian convoys from accessing the area.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) The United States believes Russia and Syria are hindering aid deliveries to the Rubkban refugee camp, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday, just one day after Russia's Defense Ministry said US forces were preventing humanitarian convoys from accessing the area.
"The United States and the Coalition fully support the UN request [regarding the aid] and are prepared to facilitate the UN's access to Rukban as soon as Russia and the [Syrian] regime put human lives above political considerations and grant access to those in dire need at the camp to receive cross-border assistance," the spokesperson said.
On Thursday, the head of Russia's National Defense Control Center Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev said the United States was preventing humanitarian aid convoys from entering the Rukban camp, where more than 70,000 people are suffering under dire conditions.
The State Department spokesperson said the Syrian government should open access to Rukban, adding that this would be the first critical step toward addressing the problem.
The State Department stressed that civilian populations should be allowed to move freely and return to their homes without fear and be able to receive the help they need.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia expects that the United States will put in practice the achieved understanding about opening the Rukban camp for humanitarian access and will facilitate the return of refugees from there.
The Rukban refugee camp is located within a 55-km de-confliction zone set up by the United States to ensure the safety of its military base near the Iraqi-Syrian border.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) Turkish jets have neutralized at least two militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, media reported on Thursday.
According to the Anadolu news agency, the airstrikes were conducted in the Zap region.
Turkish security forces carry out regular raids against PKK militants, who have been engaged in an armed conflict with Ankara since 1984. The operations are targeting militants linked to the organization in Iraqi Kurdistan region and Syria, as well as in Turkey.
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ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st September, 2018) As many as 19 members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed or injured on Friday as a result of an air operation in northern Iraq, the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement.
"As a result of an air operation on August 31 in the regions of Zap, Gara and Hakurk in northern Iraq, 19 armed members of the separatist terrorist organization were neutralized," the General Staff said on its Twitter bog.
Tensions between Ankara and the Kurds escalated in July 2015 when a ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed over a series of terror attacks allegedly committed by the PKK members. The Turkish forces are involved in anti-PKK raids across the country and in northern Iraq.
According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the country's security forces have neutralized over 10,000 PKK members since July 2015.
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BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st September, 2018) Albania, Montenegro, Norway and Ukraine decided to adhere to the European Union's July 5 decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia until January 31, the Council of the European Union said in a statement on Friday.
On July 5, the Council adopted a decision to extend economic sanctions on Russia's financial, energy and defense sectors for another six months until January 31, 2019. These sanctions were first introduced in 2014.
"The Candidate Countries Montenegro and Albania, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, align themselves with this declaration. They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it," the statement said.
In a separate statement, the council said that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, as well as Moldova and Armenia, aligned themselves with EU sanctions against North Korea.
All the aforementioned states except for Norway plus Georgia, had joined sanctions against entities and persons linked to activities of the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda terrorist groups (both banned in Russia).
Since 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of sanctions on Moscow since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014. Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict was another justification for the measures. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the West's sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.
Philadelphia, PA (UroToday.com) Diane K. Newman and colleagues assessed the effect of the first dose of AV002 on the number of NOV and FUSP in patients in two Phase 3 randomized, double-blind pivotal studies.Patients 50 years old with a history of 2 NOVs per night for 6 months (n=1333) were randomized to AV002 1.66mcg, AV002 0.83mcg, or placebo and treated for 12 weeks. After the first dose, the number of NOV and FUSP were measured. Safety evaluations included adverse events (AEs) and incidence of hyponatremia (moderate: 126-129 mmol/L; severe: 125 mmol/L).After the first dose, reduction in NOV and increase in FUSP from baseline were significant in both treatment groups (Table 1). Throughout the study, incidence and severity of AEs in AV002-treated groups were similar to placebo. The incidence of hyponatremia was low for both doses.After the first dose, patients treated with AV002 demonstrated a significant reduction of nocturic voids and improvement in duration of first uninterrupted sleep period. These results suggest AV002 has rapid efficacy with a favorable safety profile in patients with nocturia due to nocturnal polyuria.In conclusion rapidly addressing nocturia after the first dose enables clinicians and patients to quickly confirm responsiveness while providing confidence in ongoing therapy.Presented by Diane Newman, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN, Adjunct Professor of Urology in Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.Co-Authors: Campeau L, Yang A, Francis L1. McGill University, 2. Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC.Written by: Bilal Farhan, MD; Clinical Instructor, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Twitter: @Bilalfarhan79 at the 2018 ICS International Continence Society Meeting - August 28 - 31, 2018 Philadelphia, PA USA
In a woman considering anterior and/or apical prolapse repair, a large pre-operative bladder capacity >600 mL should raise the clinician's index of suspicion for ongoing incomplete bladder emptying following surgery.
Presented by: Amy D Dobberfuhl, Stanford University, Dept. of Urology
Co-Authors: Shaffer R K, Stanford University, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Goodman S N, Stanford University, Dept. of Medicine, Chen B, Stanford University, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Written by: Bilal Farhan, MD; Clinical Instructor, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Twitter: @Bilalfarhan79 Large bladder capacity >600 mL was associated with worse pre-operative PVR (mean 208 vs. 76 mL), poor VE (73 vs. 81%) and elevated PVR at longest follow-up (>100-300 mL). On multivariate regression, independent factors associated with longest follow-up PVR >200 mL were UTI (OR 3.74) and capacity >600 mL (OR 3.64). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, a capacity >600 mL was associated with a higher proportion of patients with PVR >200 mL at longest follow-up (HR 3.60).In a woman considering anterior and/or apical prolapse repair, a large pre-operative bladder capacity >600 mL should raise the clinician's index of suspicion for ongoing incomplete bladder emptying following surgery.Presented by: Amy D Dobberfuhl, Stanford University, Dept. of UrologyCo-Authors: Shaffer R K, Stanford University, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Goodman S N, Stanford University, Dept. of Medicine, Chen B, Stanford University, Dept. of Obstetrics and GynecologyWritten by: Bilal Farhan, MD; Clinical Instructor, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Twitter: @Bilalfarhan79 at the 2018 ICS International Continence Society Meeting - August 28 - 31, 2018 Philadelphia, PA USA
Philadelphia, PA (UroToday.com) Pelvic organ prolapse can result in kinking of the bladder neck and bladder outlet obstruction. Surgical correction of anterior and/or apical prolapse results in an anatomic unkinking of the bladder outlet by realigning the bladder with the bladder neck and urethra, which in theory corrects anatomic outlet obstruction. What is not defined by these nomograms is the influence of large bladder capacity on voiding efficiency in the setting of bladder outlet obstruction and pelvic organ prolapse. To improve patient counseling in women with large capacity bladder considering prolapse repair, Dr. Goodman and team described urodynamic (UDS) factors associated with the large capacity bladder in women who subsequently underwent anterior and/or apical prolapse repair at our institution over a 6-year period.They identified 592 sequential patient records, which contained anterior and/or apical prolapse repair CPT codes from the years 2009 to 2015. 358 records from this group with possible pre-operative UDS CPT codes. Their data core exported additional demographics and ICD codes (28,744 data rows). A two-reviewer case-by-case retrospective chart review was performed for: additional demographics; UDS parameters; UDS tracings; pre-operative POP-Q stage; date of surgery; operation; date and volume of all post void residuals (PVR) after surgery. This revealed 266 women with verified pre-operative UDS followed by prolapse repair.They found the primary variable of interest was pre-operative bladder capacity at the time of UDS. Women were stratified by capacity, with the third tertile used to define large bladder capacity. Voiding efficiency (VE = voided volume/bladder capacity) was estimated before and after surgery using PVR and capacity. On the other hand, the second variable of interest was longest follow-up PVR >200 mL, which was used to define elevated PVR after surgery.All 266 women (mean age 61 years) had preoperative UDS tracing, surgical and follow-up data available for analysis. Preoperative UDS revealed a mean: Pdet@Qmax 22 cmH2O (IQR 12-30), Qmax 18 mL/s (IQR 11-23), capacity 529 mL (IQR 370-659, =207), PVR 120 mL (IQR 5-160). The third tertile cutpoint for large capacity bladder was >600 mL (33%, n=88). Women with prolapse [POP-Q Stage: I (n=14), II (n=120), III (n=118), IV (n=14)] underwent anterior-only (n=115), apical-only (n=41) or combination anterior-apical (n=110) prolapse repair. Sling placement was performed in 56% (n=150) patients at the time of prolapse repair. Comorbid conditions included diabetes (14%), hyperlipidemia (34%), neuropathy (6%), obesity (17%), and UTI (45%). Following prolapse repair, 239 out of 266 patients had a follow-up PVR recorded. There was a total of 519 PVR values recorded at up to 2,949 days (mean 395, =659) and 9-time points (median 2, IQR 1-3) after surgery. Mean PVR at longest follow-up was 66 mL (=120).On univariate analysis, large capacity bladder >600 mL was associated with a younger age (mean 57 vs. 63 years; p<0.001) at time of prolapse repair. There was no significant difference in the proportion of large bladders with diabetes (p=0.508), hyperlipidemia (p=0.259), neuropathy (p=0.206), obesity (p=0.613) and UTI (p=0.387). POP-Q stage 3+ prolapse tended to occur in large bladders (57 vs. 46%; p=0.099). On UDS, large capacity (vs. <600 mL) had a mean: capacity of (763 vs. 413 mL; p<0.001), Pdet@Qmax (22 vs. 21 cmH2O; p=0.611), Qmax (20 vs. 17 mL/s; p=0.065), PVR (208 vs. 76 mL; p<0.001), VE (73 vs. 81%; p=0.027). There was no difference in prolapse stage or type of repair for large versus <600 mL capacity bladders. A similar proportion of large (vs. <600 mL) bladders underwent sling placement at time of prolapse repair (n=44/88 vs. 106/178; p=0.139). Follow-up PVR revealed a significantly elevated PVR in all patients with large bladder (23% >100 mL, p=0.038; 15% >200 mL, p=0.003; 11% >300 mL, p=0.001), however 44% of patients with a large (vs. <600 mL) bladder had a PVR improvement of >100 mL (n=39/88 vs. 50/178; p=0.008) on longest follow-up when compared to their pre-operative PVR.In order to characterize changes in PVR over time and identify pre-operative patient characteristics associated with incomplete emptying after prolapse repair, longest follow-up PVR >200 mL was used to define elevated PVR after surgery. The 27 women with no recorded follow-up PVR were excluded from PVR analysis. On univariate logistic regression (Figure 1) for the response variable longest follow-up PVR >200 mL, the following factors were associated with elevated follow-up PVR: UTI (OR 3.85; CI 1.36-10.90; p=0.011), capacity >600 mL (OR 3.74; CI 1.48-9.46; p=0.005), and pre-operative PVR >100 mL (OR 3.01; CI 1.21-7.47; p=0.018), >200 mL (OR 2.82; CI 1.10-7.28; p=0.031), >300 mL (OR 4.44; CI 1.54-12.90; p=0.006). Specific thresholds for pre-operative factors associated with longest follow-up PVR >200 mL included increased capacity (mean 647 vs. 518 mL), elevated pre-operative PVR (mean 231 vs. 105 mL), and poor VE (mean 66 vs. 80%). On stepwise backward logistic regression, our final multivariate model identified UTI (OR 3.74; CI 1.31-10.72; p=0.014) and capacity >600 mL (OR 3.64; CI 1.42-9.34; p=0.007) as independent factors associated with longest follow-up PVR >200 mL (AUC=0.727). Pre-operative capacity was assessed as a continuous variable, for the outcome longest follow-up PVR >200 mL, with a capacity cutpoint of 600 mL located at the left upper corner of the ROC (AUC=0.673). As a categorical value, the AUC was 0.658. To look at the association between time and longest follow-up PVR, we applied Kaplan-Meier cumulative incidence function methods (event = longest follow-up PVR >200 mL).
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, September 22 to 25. He is visiting Estonia, August 25.
By Robin Gomes
The Catholics of Estonia are dedicating Saturday to fasting and praying in preparation for the visit of Pope Francis to their capital Tallin in less than a months time.
The September 1 initiative is an invitation that Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia, made in a letter to his Catholics dated July 22.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, September 22 to 25. He is visiting Lithuania September 22-23, Latvia September 24, and Estonia, September 25.
Spiritual preparation
Fasting and prayers go always hand in hand, Bishop Jourdan wrote in his letter. Therefore, I ask you also to devote at least one day to fasting with the same intention. This day could be Saturday, 1 September, he suggested.
Recalling that the month of August has several Marian commemorations such as the feasts of Our Lady of the Snows, August 5, the Assumption, August 15, the Queenship of Mary, August 22 and the Estonian pilgrimage to St. Marys Chapel in Viru-Nigula on 25 August, Bishop Jourdan said, during these days of worship of Gods Mother, I ask all of us to devote our Rosary prayers to the success of the visit of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis visit is our common undertaking depending on all of us, the Apostolic Administrator wrote, adding, spiritual preparation is more important than the material one.
These moments of praying and fasting could be our joint commitment for the preparation of Papal visit. I am sure that God will accept our prayers and will give us more fruits than we can dream of, Bishop Jourdan wrote.
Of Estonias some 1.3 million population, around 7,000 are Catholics (less than 1%), who along with Lutherans and Orthodox Christians live among a population, 75% of which does not have any religious affiliation.
25 years since John Paul II
The 25th foreign trip of Pope Francis will be the first papal trip to the Baltic states in a quarter of a century. He will be the second pope to travel to the three nations, exactly 25 years after St. Pope John Paul II visited them in September 1993.
Relatives holding pictures of missing loved ones in Monterrey, Mexico, on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance (AFP or licensors)
Disappearances in Mexico have reached crisis point with few cases investigated and still fewer resolved.
By James Blears
In the past six months 2,789 people have officially been reported as disappearing, according to Mexico National Victims Database.
But the real number is far higher. Many families are too frightened to blow the whistle on drug cartels for fear of retaliation, as they are often left unprotected by law and order.
During Mexico`s twelve years drug war, which has claimed more than quarter of a million lives, Government Officials calculate that more than 30,000 people have forever vanished.
This doesn`t include tens of thousands of Central American migrants, who`ve disappeared crossing Mexico, trying to reach the US Border.
Clandestine burial sites of the narcos` victims are regularly unearthed. Yet few perpetrators are brought to justice, to answer for what amounts to mass murder on a vast scale.
The Southern State of Veracruz has the highest rate of arrests for disappearances, including a former Police chief, 20 Police Officers and even an ex State Attorney General.
Las Vegas hottest party of the year, Aid for AIDS of Nevadas (AFAN) 32nd annual Black & White Party will take place at DAYLIGHT Beach Club inside Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on Sept. 8 from 8:30-11:30 p.m. The highly anticipated event will feature barely-there fashions, performances from top entertainers and exciting silent auction items (Pictured: Jane McGuire, Alison Scheel, Sheila Taylor, Jermey Szymankowski).
Last year, nearly 2,500 guests raised more than $130,000 to benefit AFANs client service programs to help men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
Returning host Norma Llyaman, Empress of the 80s, will be joined by Strip headliner Miss Behave, from The Miss Behave Game Show. This years theme, Escape to Paradise, will take guests back in time to an 80s inspired pool party with festive decor. Photo opps and atmosphere performers from MGM Event Productions, LV Photo, Balloons with a Twist, Champagne Creative and Las Vegas Pride will enhance the experience throughout the evening.
Attendees will be treated to culinary samples provided by BRIO Tuscan Grille, Libertine Social, House of Blues, Hussongs Mexican Cantina, Slice of Vegas, Four Seasons Hotel and Hamburger Marys. Guests can dance the night away with a lively music set from DJ Axis and enjoy performances by the Tenors of Rock, Vegas! The Show, MURRAY The Magician, David Goldrake Imaginarium, The Queens of Piranha Nightclub, East Side Riot and more. The casts of Penn & Teller, Chippendales and Sexxy the show will also make special appearances.
The Cambodian government has said it will create two new provinces in what it says is a plan to increase administrative efficiency and public order.
The two new provinces will be formed from a land cut from Kandal province and from two districts in Mondulkiri and Ratanakkiri provinces.
In a letter published on Friday, Interior Minister Sar Kheng asked Prime Minister Hun Sen to authorize the creation of the new provinces.
He said the plan was based on general observations on Cambodias geography and demographics of administrative management, maintaining security and public order, local development and public service providing to citizens.
Khieu Sopheak, an interior ministry spokesman, said the existing provinces were too large and administering them was causing inefficiencies.
He also played down the cost of the move, saying such details were yet to be worked out.
In 2013, the government created Tbong Khmum province by dividing Kampong Cham province for similar reasons.
At the time, the then-opposition party was dominant in the province.
Meas Nee, a political analyst, said the creation of new provinces was a waste of public money.
The intention is to create places for officials or those loyal to the party, he said, adding that in the past public service provision had not improved after new administrative districts were created.
A better use of funds would be to put more money into paying local officials and building infrastructure, he said.
As Indonesias health ministry undertakes a huge campaign to immunize 70 million children against rubella and measles, critics say those efforts have been complicated by an edict issued by the country's top Muslim clerical body, Indonesian Ulema Council, declaring some of the vaccine's ingredients as forbidden by Islam.
While the quasi-governmental bodys edict, a fatwa, did not explicitly prohibit Indonesian Muslims from using the vaccine, experts are warning it is having consequences for immunization efforts in poorer, more religiously conservative parts of the nation and its more than 18,000 islands, threatening to derail the $100 million campaign supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The measles-rubella (MR) vaccine that Jakarta is rolling out is produced by the Serum Institute in India, the only manufacturer capable of producing a quality vaccine in the quantity required by Indonesia, and contains materials derived from pigs, which are considered forbidden for consumption by Muslims.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease which causes a rash and fever and can be deadly for babies and young children, while rubella exhibits similar symptoms and can cause death or serious birth defects for the fetus if contracted by a pregnant mother. Congenital deafness is most commonly caused by rubella during pregnancy.
The Saudi-based Islamic Advisory Group for Polio Eradication, a grouping of religious scholars, Islamic institutions, and researchers whose aim is to stamp out the disease among Muslim communities worldwide, has recommended the use of vaccines containing generally banned ingredients if there is no other form available.
Parents (have) the sharia obligation of vaccinating their children, Abbas Shouman, undersecretary of Egypt's Al-Azhar, considered one of the worlds preeminent authorities on the interpretation of Islamic law, said in 2015. His institution has spearheaded the advisory group's eradication efforts.
UNICEF officials say the MR vaccination is currently administered in 143 countries, including nearly 30 that are majority Muslim.
In Indonesia, however, the powerful Indonesian Ulema Council, known as MUI, seeks to halal-certify all products imported and made in Indonesia, including vaccines. Its latest fatwa said that while the vaccine contained elements that would be otherwise generally prohibited by Islam, the immunization was ultimately permissible for Indonesian Muslims.
But the MUI's weighing in has spurred renewed public debate on whether Muslims should immunize their children and sparked new calls for the Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical manufacturer Bio Farma to develop a halal-compliant version of the vaccine. The company, in a statement, said that could take 15 to 20 years.
Last year we already requested a statement on the Sharia aspects of the vaccination campaign from the ministry of health, said the MUI's Deputy Secretary General, Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi. "To date we have yet to receive a positive response, he said.
Others argue the benefits justify a more pragmatic approach.
"If [vaccines] contain parts from pigs, it is not a problem. Why? Because the fact is, until today, we havent discovered an alternative, Mahbub Maafi, an imam and vice secretary of the body responsible for issuing fatwas from Indonesias largest Muslim organization, Nahlatul Ulama, told VOA. If were talking about vaccines, doctors are the most authoritative, not kyai (Javanese for Islamic scholar), not ulama, in this context, he said.
In parts of the country where Islam is practiced in a more fundamentalist form, however, the MUIs fatwa is likely to have the greatest impact namely in densely populated parts of Sumatra, including the provinces of Riau and West Sumatra.
The number of students who want to get MR immunization has dropped dramatically day by day. We guess the target wont be achieved even if the campaign continues, said the acting head of the Pekanbaru Health Agency in Riau, Zaini Rizaldy Saragih, as quoted by the Jakarta Post last week, adding that only 20% of local children had been vaccinated.
Indonesias health ministry has pledged to have 95% all children 9 months to 15 years old immunized, an achievement that would effectively eliminate measles and rubella in the country by 2020. The purpose of the campaign is to control the spread of both diseases, the Indonesian Minister of Health Nila Moeloek said when launching the first phase of the campaign in Java last August.
Due to a lack of accessible, quality primary healthcare, millions of Indonesian children remain highly vulnerable, as reflected by a deadly outbreak of measles which killed more than 100 people in the impoverished eastern province of Papua earlier this year. An estimated 150,000 Indonesian children contract measles each year. As many as 10% of them die as a result.
Grace Melia, founder of the rubella support group Rumah Rubella, has worked with the Indonesian government to promote public awareness of the diseases devastating effects, using her childs story as a case study when she appears at public forums. After Celia contracted rubella during the first trimester of her pregnancy, her daughter was born with profound hearing loss, brain damage and other birth defects.
This is the real impact and damage of rubella. It really cannot be underestimated," she told VOA. "The MUI already encouraged us to get our children vaccinated, so why not?
Police have arrested a suspected pedophile who fled the United States over alleged child sexual abuse and will deport the suspect after a request was made by the U.S. Embassy.
William David Brenner was detained in Preah Sihanouk province on Wednesday night, according to Ouk Hai Seila, director of the immigration departments compliance division.
"He is involved in criminal offenses in the United States and he escaped. And with a request from the US Embassy, the RSO, Regional Security Office at the Embassy, has asked the General Department of Immigration to find and detain him then send him back to the United States to be punished there, Hai Seila said.
According to a letter from the embassy to Interior Minister Sar Kheng: The RSO has been notified that U.S. citizen William David Brenner has an outstanding arrest warrant for continuous sexual abuse of a child.
Emily Zeeberg, a U.S Embassy spokeswoman, declined to comment on the details of the case.
The U.S. Embassy cooperated with Cambodian law enforcement officers to arrest Mr. William David Brenner, who is facing charges in the United States, she said.
Brenner, 63, is from Houston, Texas.
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo and Dr. Sima Jeha with Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital speak with host Rebecca Ward and VOA Medical Correspondent Carol Pearson about treating pediatric cancer patients in the most dire of circumstances as refugees. They tell VOA that they have successfully treated hundreds of patients at the largest refugee camp in the world in Lebanon, and now hope to ramp up their efforts worldwide to provide treatment to other child refugees with cancer.
U.N. and international aid agencies are working to move refugees and migrants out of harm's way in Libya as local militia and tribal leaders, vying for control of the capital, clash for a fifth day.
Libyan authorities report 30 people, many of them civilians, have been killed and 96 wounded during the fighting. The charity Doctors Without Borders warns that the lives of local residents, as well as 8,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, are at risk.
More than 5,800 people reportedly have been displaced, according to a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, Paul Dillon. Earlier this week, the IOM, with help from Libyan and Malian authorities, returned 164 migrants to their homes of origin in Mali, he said, adding that there is a waiting list of migrants from Somalia and other African countries who want to go home.
"We are also looking to try and speed up the voluntary humanitarian return part of this. Many of the people of the Somalia caseload were already sort of in the pipeline and we are looking to find ways to accelerate that process. Obviously, we are working closely with the UNHCR on these matters," Dillion said.
A joint effort by several U.N. and international agencies on Tuesday succeeded in evacuating some 300 refugees and migrants held in Ain Zara detention center in Tripoli. The U.N. refugee agency says the detainees were in danger of becoming caught in the hostilities.
The UNHCR says those released from detention come mainly from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, and have been moved to a safer location.
Many Libyan families also have been displaced by the fighting, with some taking shelter in the detention centers emptied of their refugee and migrant inmates, Dillon said.
Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has been sentenced to six years in jail by a Cambodian court for espionage despite the prosecution's failure to even identify the country for which he was allegedly spying.
The 69-year-old raised his arms in court and said "unbelievable" after the judges handed down their ruling a decision for which they offered no justification.
"Please tell me which country I was spying for," he said, a question he has raised again and again throughout the course of the 14-month ordeal since his arrest.
Ricketson, who was detained the day after he flew a drone at an opposition rally, was convicted under a vague provision of the Cambodian law which forbids the collection of information harmful to the national defense.
In a Cambodian government-produced pre-election propaganda video, he was painted as one of the players in a vast international conspiracy to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen through a "color revolution" backed by the likes of George Soros and the United States.
The same narrative was used as the justification for banning the country's main opposition party and jailing its leader, Kem Sokha, in a crackdown that saw critics of the government arrested ahead of the July 29 election.
Ricketson, who has filmed in Cambodia for 22 years focusing largely on the plight of impoverished street children, had at times expressed strong criticisms of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government.
Reaction from family
Outside court, Ricketson's son Jesse said the result would "send shockwaves out through all of our family and our community and all of James' supporters."
"And it's a really long, hard road to this point and now to get this result is just heartbreaking," he said. "I feel so much for my father right now, he'd be feeling it really strongly and who knows what comes next and it's just devastating."
He said the family was unsure what steps to take next yet but were "hoping and praying for generosity and leniency and compassion to be shown."
Ricketson's Lawyer, Kong Sam Onn, said the court had very little evidence to convict his client but that he would seek a pardon before pursuing a legal appeal.
"If we get a pardon from the king, this appeal is abandoned and we do not have to continue to sue again. In the current situation, we can hope so much, we see a great deal of favor from the government for such prisoners of conscience," he said.
Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the verdict was politically predetermined requiring a "staunch public defense, not deference to a judicial system that is politically captured."
"From day one, James Ricketson has been a scapegoat in Hun Sen's false narrative of a so-called 'color revolution' used as an excuse to crack down on the political opposition and civil society critics," the statement said. "The sad part is the Australian government just let Cambodia walk all over them by failing to publicly and consistently challenge this ludicrous charade and demand Ricketson's immediate and unconditional release."
Cambodia response
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan rejected the criticism.
"It is just another smear by Human Rights Watch against the Cambodian judicial system with every single case is labeled [by HRW] as politically motivated. They ignore the fundamental basis of the judicial system here which rely on factual and legal bases. We now stop paying attention on what [the HRW] says because they lack qualification to be civilized persons of integrity."
Prosecutor Sieng Sok argued throughout the seven-day trial that Ricketson had used profits from his documentaries over the past 22 years that he had been visiting Cambodia to fund his spying.
He also presented a series of emails seized from Ricketson's computer after he was arrested to figures such as former opposition leader Sam Rainsy and recently ousted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, as further evidence of his spying.
In the letter to Turnbull, Ricketson urged the then PM to cut aid to Cambodia and refrain from welcoming Hun Sen into Australia, citing examples of the premier's autocratic behavior.
'Support' from Australia
The Australian government has refrained from applying any public pressure on Ricketson's behalf, though former minister for foreign affairs Julie Bishop did write to the Cambodian government expressing concerns about the case earlier this year.
On a visit to Jakarta, newly installed Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Ricketson could expect "all the consular and other support from the Australian government you'd expect in these circumstances."
"And I think, as usual in these types of events, it's best I think to deal with these things calmly and directly and in a way that best assists a citizen," he said.
In 2014, Morrison, then the immigration minister, signed a controversial deal in Phnom Penh giving the Cambodian government tens of millions of dollars in aid in return for resettling refugees Australia refused to accept.
Ultimately only a handful were let in to the country in a deal critics said had effectively gagged the Australian government from criticizing Hun Sen's human rights abuses.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne raised no concerns with the handling of the case in a statement released shortly after the verdict, instead stressing that Ricketson needed to consider any response using the "avenues open to him under Cambodian law."
Almost 20 people considered prisoners of conscience by rights groups have been pardoned in the past two weeks at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen, following his party's effectively uncontested domination of last month's election.
On Thursday, though, former Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Kem Sokha's pre-trial detention was extended to 18 months after Hun Sen said treason was an offense for which he could not seek a pardon.
Top NAFTA negotiators from Canada and the United States increased the pace of their negotiations Thursday to resolve final differences to meet a Friday deadline, with their Mexican counterpart on standby to rejoin the talks soon.
Despite some contentious issues still on the table, the increasingly positive tone contrasted with U.S. President Donald Trumps harsh criticism of Canada in recent weeks, raising hopes that the year-long talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement will conclude soon with a trilateral deal.
Canadas going to make a deal at some point. It may be by Friday or it may be within a period of time, U.S. President Donald Trump told Bloomberg Television. I think were close to a deal.
Trilateral talks were already underway at the technical level and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo was expected to soon rejoin talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, possibly later on Thursday, people familiar with the process said.
Trump said in a Bloomberg interview: Canadas going to make a deal at some point. It may be by Friday or it may be within a period of time, Trump said. I think were close to a deal.
Negotiations entered a crucial phase this week after the United States and Mexico announced a bilateral deal on Monday, paving the way for Canada to rejoin talks to modernize the 24-year-old accord that underpins over $1 trillion in annual trade.
The NAFTA deal that is taking shape would likely strengthen North America as a manufacturing base by making it more costly for automakers to import a large share of vehicle parts from outside the region. The automotive content provisions, the most contentious topic, could accelerate a shift of parts-making away from China.
A new chapter governing the digital economy, along with stronger intellectual property, labor and environmental standards could also work to the benefit of U.S. companies, helping Trump to fulfill his campaign promise of creating more American jobs.
Trump has set a Friday deadline for the three countries to reach an agreement, which would allow Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to sign it before he leaves office at the end of November. Under U.S. law, Trump must wait 90 days before signing the pact.
The U.S. president has warned he could try to proceed with a deal with Mexico alone and levy tariffs on Canadian-made cars if Ottawa does not come on board, although U.S. lawmakers have said ratifying a bilateral deal would not be easy.
Dairy, dispute settlement
One sticking point for Canada is the U.S. effort to dump the Chapter 19 dispute-resolution mechanism that hinders the United States from pursuing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases. Lighthizer said on Monday that Mexico had agreed to eliminate the mechanism.
Trump also wants a NAFTA deal that eliminates dairy tariffs of up to 300 percent that he argues are hurting U.S. farmers, an important political base for Republicans.
But any concessions to Washington by Ottawa is likely to upset Canadian dairy farmers, who have an outsized influence in Canadian politics, with their concentration in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Ultimately, weve got huge issues that are still to be resolved, said Jerry Dias, head of Canada's influential Unifor labor union. Either were going to be trading partners or were going to fight.
The Catholic Church in Australia on Friday rejected laws forcing priests to report child abuse when they learn about it in the confessional, setting the stage for a showdown between the countrys biggest religion and the government.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), the countrys top Catholic body, said it did not accept a recommendation from an official inquiry into church abuse, which would force priests by law to report abuse to the police when they hear about it in confession.
Two of the countrys eight states have since introduced laws making it a crime for priests to fail to report abuse heard in the confessional, while other states have said they are considering their response.
The Council ... continues to support retention of the civil law protection for the seal of the confessional, the ACBC said in a report published Friday.
Last year, Australia completed a five-year government-appointed inquiry into child sex abuse in churches and other institutions, amid allegations worldwide that churches had protected pedophile priests by moving them from parish to parish.
The inquiry heard that 7 percent of Catholic priests working in Australia between 1950 and 2010 had been accused of child sex crimes and that nearly 1,100 people had filed child sexual assault claims against the Anglican Church in 35 years.
Over the past decade, China has extended billions of dollars in loans to African countries, mostly for infrastructure. However, some experts say the global trade war may factor into how China uses its money.
Chinese and African leaders meet every three years to discuss ways China can fund Africa's development aspirations. The next session, to begin Monday, will address the Belt and Road initiative, which aims to better connect China with the African continent.
But with China engaged in a trade disagreement with the U.S., the Chinese government may be less willing to expand its financial commitment to Africa, according to Cobus van Staden, senior researcher on Africa-China relations at the South African Institute of International Affairs.
At the 2015 gathering in South Africa, China pledged to loan Africa $60 billion. Chinese companies are currently building railway lines in Kenya, Nigeria and Angola, as well as roads and housing projects in South Africa.
However, some Africans worry that their governments have over-borrowed, leaving their countries with huge debt.
The head of the Africa Policy Institute, Peter Kagwanja, says the loans need to be directed at projects that have high economic returns.
"But of course, the question is how do African countries deal with that particular debt, and China's answer, which Africa seems to be agreeing with, is that we need investments in activities that are going to produce maximally to get the investment to pay for themselves," Kagwanja said.
China is accused by Western powers of supporting and funding undemocratic states and countries that do not have respect for human rights.
As China's interests expand, Kagwanja says, it cannot ignore the security and political threats in Africa.
"That question is critical, and it was brought on the forefront the kind of uncertainty that surrounded Kenya's political elections last year at a time when China was celebrating one year of SGR [standard gauge railway] in the country, and that uncertainty raises questions: What can China do to secure the political stability of African countries? What kind of governance systems does Africa need to adopt in order to secure a long-term basis not only investment, but long-term planning for socio-economic transformation?" Kagwanja said.
The two-day forum in Beijing ends Tuesday.
Floating Chinese nuclear power plants stationed in the South China Sea would help Beijing fortify its claims in a decades-old maritime sovereignty dispute, but come with environmental risks, scholars say.
China plans to power some of its claimed islets with nuclear energy, the U.S. Department of Defense recently told Congress in an annual report on Chinese military activities. Beijing had indicated last year it was planning to install floating nuclear power stations that would start operating before 2020, the report says.
That development would bulk up Chinas maritime claim after about a decade of land reclamation in parts of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea and the sending of military units to some of the artificial islands, analysts say. Rival maritime claimants Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam lack similar means to electrify their holdings.
You are literally facilitating increase of physical control of the South China Sea, said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
I think the more immediate concerns of anyone, be they claimants, be they non-claimants, is a huge ecological risk, and taking into account that Chinese nuclear energy technology may not necessarily be one of the best in the world, he said.
Wait and watch
Chinese media said in 2016 their country might install as many as 20 floating nuclear power plants for commercial development. Its not clear whether they would fuel Chinese installations in the Paracel Islands that are actively contested by Vietnam or in the Spratly archipelago further south where all six governments hold some of the islands.
Nuclear power plants on barges would technically work, said Oh Ei Sun, international studies instructor at Singapore Nanyang University.
You have some sort of barge, that would actually be more feasible than if you had a permanent building there, because in that case you would be just like a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Oh said.
Russia announced floating nuclear power stations in 2000 with a Ministry for Atomic Energy project that saw construction begin in 2007.
Sovereignty advantage
A stable power supply would help Beijing ensure it can develop islets where it now has installations, experts say, and other claimants would keep clear of any barges to prevent accidents. China otherwise uses generators to provide electricity to its once uninhabited holdings that are more than 1,000 kilometers from the Chinese mainland, Koh said.
Beijing claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, overlapping waters that the five other governments call their own. The sea that stretches from Taiwan to Singapore is prized for fisheries, shipping lanes, oil and gas.
More than 1,000 Chinese live on Woody Island in the Paracel archipelago, where China is also looking to promote tourism. China has hangars at its three major Spratly islets, Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross reefs, that can handle bombers as well as aircraft for transport, patrol and refueling, the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies says.
The other Asian claimants probably wont try to overturn any nuclear installation, said Jay Batongbacal, a University of the Philippines international maritime affairs professor. All are militarily weaker than China, and the Southeast Asian claimants depend to some degree on Chinese economic support.
But the United States might take nuclear power as a new cause to send naval ships into the sea and warn China, Batongbacal said. It could follow up with a diplomatic initiative, he added. Washington, which supports freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, has helped Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines militarily in the past.
Once China installed a nuclear barge, Batongbacal said, any protests would be too late to stop it.
There really isnt much (other countries) can do once China installs those things there, he said. Their best hope is to bring pressure to bear and discourage China from actually doing it.
Ecological risks
China is unlikely to do an environmental impact study on any nuclear-power barges before installing them, Koh said. A runaway reactor could lead to a major ecological disaster, he said. The U.S. Defense Department report notes that the sea is prone to typhoons, during which most vessels seek shelter.
Pirates and terrorists at sea could also disrupt a nuclear power barge, said Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank.
It certainly requires a different kind of infrastructure building, because its a floating nuclear power plant, never been doing it before, and the maritime conditions (are) putting a lot of potential risks or uncertainty in terms of maintaining such an installation, Yang said.
Beijings hosting of a massive forum for African leaders and business representatives next week will give Chinese President Xi Jinping a big opportunity to champion his Belt and Road Initiative, even as it faces pushback and criticism.
China launched its trillion-dollar global infrastructure and trade project five years ago, and the policy is now enshrined in the countrys constitution. The collision of both that anniversary and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is providing Beijing with a choice opportunity to link to the two and bring the African continent more squarely under the belt and road umbrella, analysts said.
At the forum there is certainly going to be lots of talk about the Belt and Road Initiative, and as it turns out one of the major places where China is trying to reinforce the Belt and Road Initiative is in Africa, said Barry Sautman, a political science professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
So far, about nine countries on the continent have signed belt and road agreements with China and some 20 others are engaged in talks.
New loans, projects
During the forum, analysts expect a number of new loans and investment projects will be announced and that Beijing will address recent criticisms about debt traps, albeit indirectly.
The question of who is going to foot the bill is key when talking about Chinas ambitious projects in Africa, and Beijing is likely to use the meeting to repackage its engagement with the continent, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University.
I think that China is aware of the criticisms that have come up in the past few months and it is going to reassure its African partners that it doesnt want to put them into delicate financial situations, he said.
Focus on Africa
Cabestan expects China will make Africa and the forum a key focus of a more adjusted Belt and Road Initiative going forward.
Not only promising a lot of new projects and funding but also making the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the China-Africa cooperation more sustainable and more viable in the long run, he said.
During the last forum, which was held in Johannesburg in 2015, China pledged about $60 billion in preferential loans and investment.
I think this year actually China wont put emphasis on quantity but rather on the quality of new projects, said Tang Xiaoyang, deputy director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy.
Tang argues, however, that the adjustments China is making now are part of a more long-term concern about finances on the continent and not because of recent criticisms.
Malaysia backs out
A little more than a week ago, Malaysia announced it was canceling $20 billion worth in projects related to the global trade and infrastructure project. The countrys prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, voiced concern about belt and road projects strapping his country with too much debt and warned about the risks of a new version of colonialism.
Malaysia is not the first hurdle that the initiative has faced and is unlikely to be the last point of controversy.
For now, criticisms the belt and road have attracted elsewhere, be it Malaysia, Sri Lanka or Pakistan, have not risen to that same level of concern in Africa, said Dawn Murphy, an assistant professor of international security studies at the U.S. Air War College.
There are concerns in various countries in Africa regarding the impact of Chinese contracts for infrastructure or Chinese investment, the impact that could have on local labor and various conditions within the country, she said.
That is something that has been around for a while, she adds, but for a number of African countries, the initiative is seen as an opportunity.
Were at this point (now), where you put the label of belt and road on something, and its more likely to get financed, its more likely to have government attention, its more likely, you know, to be seen as an important initiative, Murphy said.
For its part, China has been moving quickly to give assurances in the wake of Malaysias decision and ahead of the meeting.
President Xi has defended the initiative at a recent seminar to mark the five-year anniversary of the launch of the policy, arguing that its aim is not to create an exclusive China Club. He said the initiative was about economic cooperation and not a geopolitical or military alliance.
In a briefing this week ahead of the China Africa forum, Vice Minister Qian Keming said economic and trade cooperation with Africa is built on the principles of win-win and equality. Qian dismissed concerns about debt trap diplomacy, adding that there were no political strings attached to Chinas economic cooperation with the continent.
According to Chinese officials, more than 30 heads of state and 700 African entrepreneurs are expected to attend the forum.
VOAs Brian Kopczynski and Joyce Huang contributed to this report.
An Iranian news outlet covering Irans Gonabadi Dervish minority says a number of jailed Dervishes have been put in solitary confinement at a prison near Tehran after guards broke up a protest they had held.
In several tweets posted Thursday, Majzooban Noor said authorities at the Great Tehran Penitentiary transferred an unidentified number of Dervishes to solitary cells in response to the protest staged by those prisoners the previous day. It said the prison management also cut off phone connections to wards where the Dervishes were being detained, to prevent information about them from leaking out.
Sit-in protest
A day earlier, Majzooban Noor posted several tweets saying security guards used batons and tear gas to break up a sit-in by male Dervish inmates calling for the release of female Dervishes held at Qarchak prison, also near the Iranian capital. The Dervish detainees in both prisons were among several hundred Dervishes arrested by security forces in February for involvement in anti-government protests in Tehran.
In its Thursday tweets, the news outlet said relatives of Dervishes wounded in the breakup of Wednesdays protest were concerned that prison authorities would keep the inmates in solitary confinement until their wounds healed, in order to cover up the incident. It said family members sent a letter to judiciary officials demanding immediate access to the prison to meet with the detainees.
There were no reports of the Great Tehran Penitentiary incident in Iranian state media.
Violent confrontations
The February 19-20 protests by Iranian Dervishes escalated into violent confrontations with security forces, who arrested more than 300 people. Five security personnel were killed in the clashes.
The Dervish protesters had been demanding the release of arrested members of their community and the removal of security checkpoints around the house of their 90-year-old leader, Noor Ali Tabandeh. Members of the Sufi Muslim religious sect long have complained of harassment by Irans Shiite Islamist rulers, who view them as heretics.
This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Persian service.
An Iranian police officer has deserted his post and fled Iran, saying his life was in danger for refusing orders to suppress anti-government protests that have swept the country this year.
Fariborz Karamizand, a member of Irans ethnic Kurdish minority, spoke to VOAs Kurdish Service on Thursday. In an exclusive Skype video interview, he said he had deserted his Tehran-based position as a three-star first lieutenant with Irans Intelligence and Public Security Police. The force, known as PAVA, is a domestic security branch of Irans national police organization, the NAJA.
I refused to implement an order to crack down on the people and their uprising, and [refused] to arrest those who participated in a legitimate cause, Karamizand said. My life was in danger. I had to leave Iran.
Karamizand said he went into hiding with his family, but he did not disclose which country he fled to or when. He said Iranian police and intelligence agents of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were searching for him and his family members.
Karamizand said other security officers recently have abandoned their posts as well. Just a few days ago, an NAJA officer deserted, and [there have been desertions] even within the army and Revolutionary Guards, he said. He did not provide further details but said the deserters were fed up with what he called the Iranian governments oppression of its own people.
Karamizand is a native of the predominantly ethnic Kurdish western Iranian province of Kermanshah. He said he had been stationed there for much of his police career, but his superiors transferred him to Tehran earlier this year. He said the transfer was in response to his initial defiance of orders to suppress anti-government protests by Iranian Kurds in Kermanshah.
The people of Kermanshah played a leading role in the protests, but they were cracked down upon harshly, he said. They came under attack from the Iranian security apparatus, including the Revolutionary Guards and Basiji militiamen.
After being transferred to Tehran, where he was subject to greater bureaucratic oversight than in his previous position in Kermanshah, Karamizand said he again refused to obey commands to crack down on anti-government demonstrations, this time in the Iranian capital.
Karamizand called on other Iranian police officers to side with Iranians seeking to expedite the demise of Irans Islamist leadership, which seized power in a 1979 revolution. Police work is sacred, but its legitimacy is in the hands of the people, not the regime, he said.
Karamizand also had a message for the Iranian people: They should not wait for an outside country [to help], they should organize themselves in one city after another and stand up together as civilians, so that security forces do not interfere.
Iran has seen frequent nationwide protests this year by citizens expressing anger toward local and national officials and business leaders whom they accuse of mismanagement, corruption and oppression. Iranian leaders often have deflected the domestic criticism by blaming the unrest on foreign "enemies."
This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Persian Service.
When African leaders meet next week in Beijing for the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, theyll strike million- and billion-dollar deals for infrastructure, business and development projects.
To date, China has made more than $142 billion in loans to African countries, and this years forum will deepen those financial ties.
But U.S. politicians are ringing alarms about overreliance on Chinese financing, while analysts who study Sino-Africa relations see fresh opportunities for African leaders to negotiate deals that better serve their countries interests.
Power play
Earlier this month, 16 U.S. Senators sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo raising concerns about Chinese lending tied to global infrastructure development.
Lina Benabdallah, an assistant professor of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University, told VOA the letter captures the growing concern about Chinas infrastructure strategy, called the Belt and Road Initiative.
I dont think its much about these recipient countries as it is about this power play between the U.S. and China over this global dominance kind of narrative, Benabdallah said.
Thats not to say concerns about Africas deals with China arent warranted. Many countries may face difficulties repaying loans, Benabdallah said, or have unfavorable trade deficits with the worlds second-largest economy.
But on the whole, China accounts for a small portion of Africas overall debt burden, according to research published this month by the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. In just three cases Djibouti, The Republic of Congo and Zambia the researchers found Chinese loans are the leading contributor to debt risk.
China is part-and-parcel of the larger problem, [which is] that some of these countries are taking on too much debt, Luke Patey, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies who focuses on Chinas global business dealings, told VOA.
Debt fear
In December 2017, Sri Lanka provided a glimpse into how China might handle other debtors, including those in Africa, who cant pay China back.
After Sri Lanka ran into trouble with its loans, China renegotiated the terms and forgave debt, in exchange for ownership of Hambantota Port and 15,000 acres of surrounding land in the form of a 99-year lease on the property, The New York Times reported in June.
And thats brought on some sovereignty concerns, Patey said. Theres a fear that Chinese debt is not simply an economic issue but can quickly evolve into political intervention, commercial intervention and even an increasing military presence, he added.
Filling a void
Chinese loans often come with preferential terms, including zero-interest financing in some cases. And the projects theyre financing serve a purpose.
A lot of these infrastructure projects are much needed, Benabdallah said, and African nations havent had other ways to take on massive projects since their economies, while growing quickly, remain relatively small.
Djibouti, a country that faces a particularly worrying debt load, crystallizes the situation in Africa.
For a long time, Djibouti has been looking for this development and trying to find ways to have infrastructure projects, Benabdallah said. In China, theyve found a willing partner, and Djiboutians anticipate the deals their government has struck will produce jobs and future development opportunities, she added.
But theres still a need for caution across the continent, Patey said.
Many of these infrastructure projects havent, to date, produced tremendous amounts of revenue for African governments, he said.
The deals also often have stringent economic conditions, he added. Projects must be built with Chinese labor and supplies, and often must be managed by China for several years.
African agency
Questions about Chinas lending practices at times gloss over African agency.
All of these loans have not been forced upon African governments and African leaders. Theyve willfully brought them in, Patey said.
But the deals are often opaque, and that can feed corruption.
This is one of the key problems that Africa faces, Patey said, and its not unique to China.
Increasing transparency is one way to make financing work better for African countries. But bilateral deals also put recipient countries at a disadvantage, according to Benabdallah.
Without a collective vision or formal policy for dealing with financing from China or anyone else for that matter African nations lose bargaining power and end up with less appealing terms, Benabdallah said.
Along with tighter coordination, African countries also need to invest in and develop domestic firms to keep profits local, Patey said. With some of the worlds fastest-growing markets, Africa is well-positioned to leverage its resources to prevent wealth from leaving.
African governments can push for better technology transfer [and] better training that builds domestic firms to be more competitive in the global economy, Patey said.
Inside a crowded bamboo hut, a group of women, some holding babies, listens intently as an older Rohingya woman flails her arms in the air, emphasizing the virtues of womens hygiene.
Fifty-year-old Nur Begum, who was among the mass exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar last fall, is one of a team of about 20 health counseling volunteers working for UNICEFs local NGO partner Pulse who offer up their knowledge to the female population in Balukhali camp.
Nurs specialty is childbirth, breastfeeding, and just about anything else that a new mom would think about asking.
On this day, a 14-year-old, who goes by the name Aisha, has a question about sanitary napkins, or in this case, the handling of cotton clothes used by some of the camp teens who are unable to access tampons.
We have to use a clean rag to clean ourselves during our period and after we finish we then wash it out in a toilet, Aisha said.
During their first period, Rohingya girls are often confined to their huts and costly hygiene pads are not always available.
Like a second mother
Its a sensitive topic, but there is an ease in the air as the teen listens to Nurs advice about the physical health risks of poor menstrual hygiene.
Aisha says that Nur is like a second mother to her, as her own mom died about four months ago from an unknown illness.
The Rohingya grandmother is indeed a breath of fresh air in a setting where the comforting words of a friendly neighbor help erase the tension and trauma.
Nur Begums presence is one of reassurance for young moms and teenagers, said UNICEFs information officer Alastair Lawson-Tancred. She relaxes the room with her charm and humor and gives out advice in a very nonjudgmental way.
The local volunteers are much more effective than foreign aid workers because they know the camps well and understand the customs of the Rohingya people, Tancred explained, adding that about 75 percent of the mobile health consultants are Rohingya.
50 babies born each week
Maternal and infant health is an ongoing concern in the Rohingya refugee camps, where poverty and a lack of education can create health risks for new moms and their babies.
Every week about 50 babies are born into dire conditions with less than a quarter of mothers giving birth in a proper health facility.
More than 16,000 Rohingya babies were born in refugee camps and informal settlements in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, in the first nine months since the massive Rohingya exodus from violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, UNICEF reported in May.
Traditional norms and limited education have left many mothers with little knowledge of basic sexual and infant health care.
UNICEF is working with several local NGOs including SHED and Pulse to spread key information about womens health.
Vital nutrition begins at birth, but many mothers are often unable to breastfeed because of stress and the poor quality of their food.
Leading aid groups recommend exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a childs life, then continued feeding with solids until the age of 2.
Volunteers go into the camps to follow up with new parents whove been given special food supplements to increase their childs weight.
The children conditions today is getting better since we gave meds and nutritional food, and afterwards we measured the body and there is growth, said Sameela Kotima, an outpatient therapeutic volunteer, after she measures the arm of a toddler who was suffering from malnutrition a few weeks ago.
Its better than the first checkup as the child was in terrible condition when we first checked her, Kotima said.
Taboo topics
The mobile health workers also counsel young women about taboo sexual health issues such as contraceptives.
While Nur is firm in her view that marriage before 18 is unacceptable, she also speaks about the options of birth control, a taboo subject in most Rohingya circles.
The elderly tell us not to eat birth control pills or medicine to stop us from producing children, said Natawan Mondool, a 38-year-old mother of eight who is among the afternoon gathering.
They say its a sin to stop birth, so we listened to them and thats why we had more children in our family, but now we realize that its not a good idea to have many children, Mondool said.
Now I teach my children to not have more children and use birth control.
Editor's note: We want you to know what's happening, why and how it could impact your life, family or business, so we created a weekly digest of the top original immigration, migration and refugee reporting from across VOA. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.
South Africa: Four killed in xenophobia-driven slayings
Several foreigners are dead in a spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa. A new political party is capitalizing on fear and blaming of outsiders to gain momentum. One Malawi-born woman told VOA while she was working at a nail salon that she's just not having it. "You see, they are saying, 'Foreigners, we are stealing their jobs,'" she said. "Well, they can't do what I'm doing, you see? They will say, 'Foreigners, they are taking our wives.' They can't support their wives."
Greece: Displaced camps 'unfit for human habitation'
Mental health problems. Sexual assaults. Subpar sanitation. The Aegean islands are housing more asylum-seekers than they can healthfully handle, according to the U.N. this week.
Bangladesh: Need for firewood damaging environment
In the last year of the Rohingya refugee crisis, the need to cook and boil water has outpaced the supply of wood around the camps. Some NGO workers are trying to curb the deforestation.
Brazil: Crisis in Caracas displaces indigenous Venezuelans
They fled economic disintegration and security concerns at home for northeast Brazil. Now the Warao tribes are struggling to get by in a new home they barely know.
Australia: Mental health emergency
Medical experts and refugee advocates say they are seeing signs of "resignation syndrome" among children, and are warning of a mounting health crisis for asylum-seekers held at Australia's offshore detention centers on Nauru.
USA: Papers, please... again
Some Latinos born in U.S. cities along the Mexico border are being denied US passports, the Washington Post reported this week. It's not a new thing for residents in the area, but there's a disquieting resurgence that affects families including that of Texas-born stand-up comedian Cristela Alonzo, who has repeatedly documented on Twitter her siblings' recent struggles to get passports: "This happened to my brother and sister months ago. Were both born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. Turned in birth certificates, all documentation needed. Were denied passports and asked to produce paperwork to prove they're American... So yeah."
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International students around the U.S. are learning about American college life in a special orientation week before classes start. Esha Sarai went to Rice University in Houston, Texas, to talk with international students about their experience.
Before hunkering down in lectures about chemistry or economics, international students at U.S. colleges and universities are learning about health insurance and visa specifications.
Its international student orientation week at many colleges and universities, including Rice University, where many graduate students are just days into their new journeys in Houston, Texas.
Everyone is a little bit confused, a little disoriented. Lots of people are jetlagged, Arina Zaytseva, a Ph.D. candidate in religious studies from Russia, told VOA at an afternoon pizza party in the engineering building, following a long morning of information sessions in lecture halls.
Zaytseva was not particularly impressed with the pizza.
Health insurance and bike laws
But there were many important helpful tips, so Im glad I came here, she added, noting that she found the orientation sessions on health insurance the most useful.
Health insurance, which international students are required to have while in the U.S., is just one of many things students learn about in orientation, which can last multiple days.
Victoria Graja, a Ph.D. candidate from Ecuador, attended a presentation about coming from a culture that is less direct than American culture.
Here you have to know that people are very direct, she said.
And for other students, the most vital, if not shocking information, was about U.S. bike laws.
Im still super freaked out by the turn right on red rule, Konstantin Georgiev of Bulgaria said, speaking about a traffic law that allows cars to turn right even if their light is red. Georgiev, an avid bike commuter, said he bought a bike the first day he moved to Houston but has had a hard time adjusting to traffic laws in a city dominated by cars.
Im coming from quite a biking place so it really bugs me when Im in the right lane waiting for the traffic light to allow me to go forward and suddenly there would be a big SUV making a right turn while the red light is still on, which is totally legal, although I still cant imagine it is! he said.
WATCH: International Students Learn About Insurance, Adjust to Weather at Orientation
Not new to US
Many of those attending international student orientation have spent time in the United States, particularly graduate students.
Takudzwa Tapfuma, originally from Zimbabwe, had attended Amherst College in Massachusetts for four years of undergraduate studies before moving to Texas for his masters in architecture.
Standing under an archway over a stone staircase in one of the oldest buildings on campus, Tapfuma talked about how moving from Massachusetts to Texas was a culture shock.
Id heard a lot of great things about Houston. ... I had not been to this part of the country, specifically Texas, so it was an exciting new challenge, he said.
I didnt come in thinking I knew it all about being an international student in the U.S., and I think the Office of International Student Services showed that theres a lot to learn even if youve been living in the United States, Tapfuma said. Ive learned a ton from the orientation. There are resources on campus, how you can make use of the resources and just how to adjust to this new intellectual environment.
Diverse city
Houston has been recognized as the most diverse metropolitan area in the United States, boasting a population that is more than a quarter foreign-born and 44 percent Hispanic, according to Rices Kinder Institute and 2016 census data.
Rice University has an international student population of 1,676 this academic year, about 24 percent of the student population, according to Rices Office of International Students and Scholars.
If Rice hadnt contacted me in the first place, I would not have considered coming to Texas just because I had some previous ideas, said Santiago Lopez Alvarez, a Fulbright scholar from Colombia. I think its great that I ended up coming here because life teaches you that stereotypes and prejudice are always overturned when you get there.
What I like is the diversity that they have, Graja said. In these few days I have met people from different countries and cultures and backgrounds, and they are also studying different subjects so I think that thats the most interesting part of it.
But there are many things about their vastly different home countries that they miss. During a day bookended by a pizza party and a classic Texas barbecue at the university presidents house, many students said that second only to their friends and family, food is what theyll miss the most.
Five years into living in America, the food still leaves a gaping hole in my stomach, Tapfuma said with a sad smile.
Plenty of leftover pizza remained after the students filtered outside before afternoon orientation sessions. As for the barbecue, it seemed the beer was more popular.
You are wanted here
But more than 1 million international students braved American cuisine on college and university campuses during the 2016-2017 school year, making up 5.3 percent of the entire higher education student population in the United States, according to the International Institute of Educations Open Doors report.
I encourage everyone whos considering coming to the States to pursue a graduate education to give it a try, Lopez Alvarez said.
The international component of the programs is one of the main strengths, he said. They do want to have you here. They do want international students, and American students want to get in touch with you and meet you, and thats really cool.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has added former Solicitor General Theodore Olson and former White House counsel John Dean to the list of witnesses who will testify next week in the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court.
Olson served as solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration. He's one of the country's best-known lawyers, having argued the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case that stopped Al Gore's recount in the 2000 presidential election. He'll offer backing to a former colleague in the Bush White House. Kavanaugh served as legal counsel and later as staff secretary for Bush.
Dean ultimately cooperated with prosecutors and helped bring down Richard Nixon's presidency, though he served a prison term for obstruction of justice. He has been a harsh critic of President Donald Trump and is listed as a Democratic witness. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, said Dean would "speak about the abuse of executive power.''
Democrats trying to defeat Kavanaugh's nomination have asserted that Trump chose him for the court because he would protect the White House from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Kavanaugh has written that it would be appropriate for Congress to pass a statute that would allow lawsuits against a sitting president to be deferred until the president's term ends. He said Congress should consider doing the same with "respect to criminal investigations and prosecutions of the president.''
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and attorney Lisa Blatt will introduce Kavanaugh when hearings begin Tuesday.
Representative Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat who is chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, will also testify as a Democratic witness later in the week.
The remains of the late Senator John McCain are lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda Friday as Americans continue to mourn the loss of the long-time legislator and war hero.
McCain's remains were flown Thursday to Washington from Arizona, the southwestern U.S. state he represented in Congress since he was first elected in 1982.
WATCH: Thousands Pay Respects to Senator John McCain at the US Capitol
Hundreds of members of Congress are expected to attend a ceremony in the rotunda, an honor that has been bestowed upon just 30 Americans throughout the country's history. McCain's coffin will rest on a wooden platform known as a catafalque, which was first used in 1865 to support the casket of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.
President Donald Trump was not invited to Friday's ceremony or McCain's funeral on Saturday, a decision viewed by many as a rebuke of Trump. A bitter feud between Trump and the two- time presidential hopeful took root during Trump's 2016 campaign, when he mocked McCain for getting captured during the Vietnam War and said McCain was not a war hero.
Vice President Mike Pence will, instead, speak at the ceremony and other administration officials will be present, as will McCain's widow, Cindy, his seven children and his 106-year-old mother, Roberta McCain.
After Friday's ceremony, McCain will lie in state for the rest of the day for public viewing in the rotunda, where his flag-draped coffin will be presided over by a Capitol Hill Guard of Honor.
Two former presidents, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama, will deliver remarks at Saturday's memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington.
McCain lost the Republican presidential nomination to Bush in 2000 and the presidential election to Obama in 2008.
The former aviator who was a prisoner of war for more than five years will be buried Sunday at his college alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis, Maryland.
McCain died last Saturday at age 81 after a year-long battle with brain cancer.
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday described his old friend as a man who lived by an ageless code of honor, courage and duty for his country.
Three former NATO secretaries general have called for the alliances new $1.4 billion Brussels-based headquarters to be named McCain.
"Despite his being a U.S. Senator, across Europe we all felt that John McCain III was one of our own," they said in a letter to the British paper The Times.
In a letter, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who served in the top post from 2009-2014, George Robertson (1999-2003) and Javier Solana (1995-1999) have supported the tribute to the Arizona Republicans work in promoting transatlantic unity.
The letter, published Thursday, reads: As three former secretary-generals of NATO, we believe that the transatlantic alliance is the cornerstone of a stable, peaceful and free world. Few things symbolize this alliance, and the enduring benefits of American global leadership, more vividly than the life and work of John McCain.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed he received the request to name the new NATO headquarters after Senator John McCain.
"This proposal will be studied carefully," said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescuin in a statement.
McCain lost the Republican presidential nomination to Bush in 2000 and the presidential election to Obama in 2008.
The former aviator who was a prisoner of war for more than five years will be buried Sunday at his college alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis, Maryland.
McCain died last Saturday at age 81 after a year-long battle with brain cancer.
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday described his old friend as a man who lived by an ageless code of honor, courage and duty for his country.
"Character is destiny, John had character," Biden said at a funeral service for the 81-year-old McCain in the Arizona capital of Phoenix.
Residents of Mosul's Old City are concerned about the education of their children ahead of the new school year as most classrooms in the district remain in ruins in the wake of the war against the Islamic State group. VOA's Kawa Omar spoke to some residents in Mosul.
New Zealand authorities said Friday that convicted secrets leaker Chelsea Manning can enter the country for a speaking tour, a day after tour organizers said she couldnt enter Australia.
Manning was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking U.S. government secrets and would not normally qualify for entry into New Zealand under its good-character provisions.
But Immigration New Zealand General Manager Steve Stuart said Manning had been granted a special direction, allowing her to apply for a working visa for planned speaking events in Auckland and Wellington next month.
Stuart said the agency noted that Mannings sentence had been commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017, that she had not reoffended since being released, and that the chances of her offending while in New Zealand were low.
New Zealands conservative opposition National Party had urged the government to ban Manning, saying her appearance would not enhance New Zealands relationship with the U.S.
Australia has similar good-character rules to New Zealand. Mannings tour was to start in Sydney on Sunday, but Thursday event organizer Think Inc. said it had received a notice of intention from the Australian government to deny Manning entry.
The group was calling on her supporters to lobby new Immigration Minister David Coleman to allow her into Australia. While Manning can appeal, past precedent suggests the decision has already been made.
Manning, 30, acknowledged leaking more than 700,000 military and State Department documents to anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks in 2010. Known as Bradley Manning at the time of her arrest, she came out as transgender after her 2013 court-martial. She recently lost a Democratic primary in a long-shot bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland.
Under its good-character rules, New Zealand typically denies entry to people who have been sentenced to five years or more in prison at any time in their lives, or who have been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison at some point during the last 10 years.
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is expelling a United Nations human rights team two days after the body published a critical report blaming it for the violent repression of opposition protests.
Guillermo Fernandez Maldonado, chief of the U.N.'s human rights mission in Nicaragua, said Friday that he and his team were leaving the country.
"We are suspending any planned activity," he said.
In a statement, the U.N. human rights regional office for Central America said it had received a letter Thursday from the foreign ministry notifying it that the government's invitation was over.
"The letter indicates that said invitation was extended with the purpose of accompanying the Verification and Monitoring Commission and that with the reasons, causes and conditions finished that spurred said invitation, the invitation is considered concluded," according to the statement.
The U.N. statement said the team will continue monitoring and reporting on the situation remotely.
It was a rough day for the U.N. in Central America. While the human rights mission was preparing to leave Nicaragua on Friday, military vehicles surrounded the U.N.-backed anti-corruption mission headquarters in Guatemala's capital. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales is facing an attempt to strip his immunity so he can be investigated for illicit campaign financing.
The U.N. Security Council will discuss the situation in Nicaragua on September 5.
The report released Wednesday by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights described repression in the country that stretched from the streets to courtrooms, where some protesters face terrorism charges.
More than 300 people have been killed since popular protests began in mid-April triggered by cuts to the social security system. Ortega reversed the cuts, but demonstrations quickly expanded and turned into a call for him to step down.
In July, the government forcefully cleared the last of the roadblocks erected by protesters that had snarled the country's traffic. It also retook the last of the university campuses occupied by students.
The U.N. report called on the government to immediately halt the persecution of protesters and disarm the masked civilians who have been responsible for many of the killings and arbitrary detentions. It also documented cases of torture and excessive force through interviews with victims and local human rights groups.
In response, the government said that the report was biased and did not consider that its actions occurred in the context of what it alleges was a failed coup attempt. It said the report ignored the violence afflicted against members of his Sandinista party.
Ortega has called the protesters "terrorists" working in coordination with domestic and foreign interests which want him removed from office.
The government also accused the U.N. team of overstepping its authority in violation of Nicaragua's sovereignty and said the U.N. had not been invited to evaluate the human rights situation, but to accompany the commission working to end the crisis.
A national dialogue aimed at finding a resolution ultimately stalled, and Ortega accused the Roman Catholic bishops who were mediating talks of working with coup mongers.
Denis Moncada, Nicaragua's foreign minister, met with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres this week in New York.
Guterres' spokeswoman said after the meeting that Nicaragua's path out of the crisis had to be "politically inclusive."
Since the beginning of 2018, Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province has experienced more than 70 terror attacks, killing 260 and injuring over 500, according to an Afghan watchdog organization that monitors violence and civilian casualties around the country. A large number of those killings have been the result of suicide bombings.
In a report sent to VOA, the Civilian Protection and Advocacy Group (CPAG) said the province birthplace of Islamic State's Afghanistan branch estimates more than 700 civilians and have been killed or injured.
"Suicide attacks are the No. 1 cause for these casualties and roadside bombings come in second," Aziz Ahmad Tasal, director of the CPAG, told VOA. "The number of civilian casualties might be more than what has been recorded because some remote areas [in the province] are hard to reach."
CPAG's data cover terror attacks during a six-month period from January to July 2018.
According to CPAG, during the same period, 52 civilians have been killed and 33 others wounded by Afghan security forces during their operations against militants in the province. Some of the operations have been conducted jointly by Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces.
Afghan officials say their operations in the province have been cautiously planned and executed to avoid civilian casualties.
Earlier this month, an Afghan army soldier tried to thwart an IS suicide attacker in the province by throwing himself at the bomber just before the attacker triggered a blast.
The soldier, Mohammad Omar, was killed, along with three other people.
WATCH: Afghan soldier throws himself on suicide bomber
IS is not the only group active in the province. Taliban insurgents have also staged attacks in recent months. Besides targeting Afghan security forces, both groups have engaged in fierce fighting among themselves over control of territory in the province.
IS desperate
In a wave of violence last week, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack near an election office in the capital, Jalalabad, where two civilians were killed and four were injured.
Provincial security officials charge that IS is desperately trying to portray itself as a potent group.
Islamic State has suffered heavy losses in the province, especially in Pacher Wa Agam and Deh Bala districts. That is why IS has doubled its efforts and has carried out more attacks, fearing a total wipeout, General Ghulam Sanaie Stanikzai, Nangarhars police chief, told VOA.
Deh Bala district was ISs stronghold in Nangarhar before the U.S. and Afghan Special Forces captured it in July.
Josh Thiel, a U.S. Special Forces battalion commander, told VOA last month that they had cleared Deh Bala of IS.
The operation started at the end of May. They [Special Forces] put direct fire on the ISIS capital caliphate and put it under siege for about four days. And it took the three commando companies five days to clear Papin and Gur Guri [of IS militants], Theil said.
WATCH: US, Afghan Forces Capture IS Capital
This years deadliest terror attacks occurred June 16 and 17 during the Eid holidays when people celebrated the first historic cease-fire in the province. IS suicide bombers killed 46 and injured another 130 people, mostly civilians.
WATCH: Suicide bombers strike during holidays
Security measures
The violence in Nangarhar prompted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to deploy the army to the province to maintain security and prevent further attacks.
The move was criticized by some who alleged the presence of armed forces resulted in more terror attacks.
Do not turn Nangarhar into a prison. The Afghan government needs to control the ongoing unrest with its intelligence force, not the army, and shift its fighting strategies and policies, Aziz Ahmad Tasal of CPAG said in a press conference earlier this month.
Army troops were eventually replaced with elite police units.
Pressure
U.S and Afghan forces have kept IS under constant pressure since the group first emerged in Afghanistan in 2015.
On Sunday, Afghan officials confirmed that Abu Saad Erhabi, head of IS in Afghanistan, was killed in a U.S airstrike in Nangarhar province.
Erhabi was the fourth leader of IS-Khurasan killed since 2015. His predecessor was Abdul Haseeb, who was killed in 2017 during a joint U.S.-Afghan operation.
A spokesperson for Ghani told VOA that the killing of IS leaders demonstrated the government's resolve.
The killing of IS leaders and the severe crackdown against Daesh displays the [Afghan] governments determination in its fight against terrorism, Shah Hussain Murtazawi said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
Spike in violence
Some analysts charge that the rise in violence in Nangarhar could be the result of growing pressure on IS.
As ISIS begins to feel besieged by a variety of actors not just the Afghan and U.S. militaries but also by the Taliban it wants to step up its violence and attacks to make it clear that its still potent, Michael Kugelman, an analyst at the U.S.-based Wilson Center, said.
Others point to strongmen and warlords in the province who have paved the way for militant groups.
Local strongmen and warlords have grown wealthy and benefited from the war. They had no wealth before, but now they own buildings and cars. Therefore, they do not want Nangarhar to be peaceful, retired Army Colonel Mohammad Anwar Sultani said.
Afghan officials, however, charge that because Nangarhar shares a border with Pakistan, militants easily cross the border into Afghanistan to carry out terror attacks.
We have a total of 225 kilometers [140 miles] of open border with Pakistan, and have several crossing points in the province which could also be utilized by enemies to cross into Afghanistan, said Stanikzai, the Nangarhar police chief.
Some analysts believe that the smuggling of minerals, drugs and timber have also contributed to insecurity.
The districts of Nangarhar province have nephrite, marbles, fluorite and slate mines. And instability and insecurity enable the Mafia to extract these mines and empower themselves, Mohammad Jawad Rahimi, a U.S.-based Afghanistan expert, told VOA.
Pope Francis was described Thursday by a top aide as serene in the face of the unprecedented public skirmishing breaking out among Catholic prelates over an explosive charge that the pontiff knew about sexual misconduct allegations against a U.S. cardinal but chose to ignore them.
The Vatican's secretary of state said Francis is maintaining his grace despite bitterness and concern in the Vatican over the accusation leveled against him by a onetime top Catholic envoy, who has demanded the Pope resign.
The Popes accuser, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican ambassador and a doctrinal opponent of Francis, has gone into hiding after making his claim last Sunday in a scathing 11-page document that was crafted with the assistance of a well-known Italian journalist and a stalwart critic of the Pope. According to Vigano, Francis ignored misconduct allegations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
The incendiary document, which also warned of a homosexual culture in the church, was leaked to several conservative Catholic newspapers and blogs, all determined foes of Francis. They agreed to publish it on the second and final day of Franciss trip to Ireland, in a coordinated effort, say Francis loyalists, to cause him maximum damage.
The publication of the letter upended the visit to Ireland, where Pope Francis had hoped to stanch the damage being done to the Holy See by the clerical sex abuse crisis that has roiled the Roman Catholic Church worldwide for decades. Just two weeks before the Ireland trip, the Church was rocked by further clerical abuse allegations with the release of a grand jury report in the U.S. which detailed the abuse of children in six Pennsylvania dioceses over the past seven decades by hundreds of predator priests.
In Ireland, Pope Francis met Irish abuse victims and asked for the faithful to forgive the church for its failings. We ask forgiveness for the times that we did not show [abuse] survivors compassion or the justice they deserve in the search for truth, he said. And he then added: We ask forgiveness for members of the Church hierarchy who did not take care of these situations and kept quiet.
But Vigano says Francis is one of the church leaders whos colluded in covering up abuse or has been too ready to overlook abuse allegations when leveled against friends and progressive allies. He has also claimed that a tolerant attitude towards homosexuality in the Vatican even alleging a progressive gay cabal in the upper echelons of the Church is the root cause of clerical sex abuse. Francis supporters scoff at that charge, noting that clerical sex abuse has been going on for decades and for most of that time traditionalists were in control of the Vatican.
Conspiracy of silence
Midweek Vigano reemerged to give an interview to La Verita newspaper, saying he spoke up out of a sense of duty to the Catholic Church and not because the Pope had passed him over for promotion. I have never had feelings of vendetta or rancor, he said, adding that there is a conspiracy of silence in the Church not so dissimilar from the one that prevails in the mafia.
Vigano says Francis was aware of the grave allegations of sexual misconduct against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, whos been accused of abusing young priests and molesting seminarians for decades. Unlike his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, who imposed sanctions on McCarrick, Francis and his circle of advisers chose to rehabilitate the U.S. cardinal, argues Vigano.
The claims are shaking Franciss five-year papacy.
Amid the swirl of charge and counter-charge between church liberals and conservatives locked in a power struggle, theres mounting anxiety in the Vatican that traditionalists, opposed to the Popes efforts to make the Church more inclusive and less rigid doctrinally, are determined to use the clerical sex abuse scandal to gain politically.
The popes supporters say Francis doctrinal opponents won't be satisfied until they have either forced him to resign, or so damaged him that hes stripped of the authority needed to drive the reforms they're determined to halt. They say traditionalists have been emboldened by the resignation of Benedict, whose stepping down as leader of the Catholic Church in 2013 made him the first pope to relinquish the office since 1415, setting a modern-day precedent for pontiffs not having to stay in office until they die.
Abuse survivors are also suspicious of the motives of Vigano and the circle of traditionalists supporting him. Despite their own frustrations with Francis at what they see as a failure by his Vatican to take concrete steps to root out corrupt clergy, they worry traditionalists are enlisting homophobia in their campaign against Francis and are not truly focused on the well-being of abuse survivors.
Not a word
Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga, one of the Popes closest advisers, dismissed Viganos attacks, telling La Repubblica newspaper Thursday, Transforming information of a private nature into a bombshell headline that explodes around the world damaging the faith of many people doesn't seem to me to be a correct action. But Maradiaga did not engage with the details of Viganos central charge that the pope ignored misconduct allegations against McCarrick, who last month resigned, becoming the first cardinal to do so since 1927.
Francis, too, has continued to remain silent about McCarrick.
The 81-year-old pope told journalists who accompanied him on his two-day visit to Ireland that he wouldn't comment. Asked in an impromptu press conference on board his plane on the return to Rome about Viganos accusation, the Pope said he left it up to the journalists to judge for themselves. I won't say a word about it, he said.
Vatican analysts say the Holy See appears to be hoping that by ignoring the substance of the claim against Francis, the storm can be ridden out. But they warn that appears to be a forlorn hope by shunning the charge, Francis is fueling it and prompting the question, why won't the pope answer? If the claim is inaccurate, why wouldn't the pope correct it, just as he has spoken so openly about so many other things? queried commentator Tim Stanley in a commentary for the London Sunday Telegraph.
Francis conservative critics are gearing up to press formally for an answer. In an open letter to his diocese in Tyler, Texas, Bishop Joseph Strickland midweek said: Let us be clear that they are still allegations, but as your shepherd I find them to be credible. He says he will agitate for an investigation.
Other prelates are plotting to do so as well, next month in Rome at a synod of bishops to discuss young people and faith.
The Diocese of Dallas in Texas has petitioned the Pope to hold a special synod, or summit, of bishops on the clerical sex abuse scandal.
Progressives started to rally Friday around Francis with prelates from Latin America, the popes home continent, as well as Portugal leading the charge.
Of the accusations, Cardinal Antonio dos Santos Marto, of Fatima, Portugal, told the Observador newspaper, Its a campaign organized by ultra-conservatives to mortally wound the pope.
Marto predicted Francis will be strengthened by the controversy, adding, however, that in this moment its necessary for the entire Church to manifest her support for the pope. He said Francis may soon switch tactics and address head-on the accusations against him.
Francis also received backing from a top aide to his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Archbishop Georg Ganswein dismissed Viganos claim that Benedict had informed Francis of the misconduct allegations against McCarrick. He told Italian newspapers Friday: Its all rubbish.
A media rights group is condemning what it calls "harsh sentences" that Iranian authorities imposed on at least seven journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Friday that the reporters were jailed this summer for their coverage of protests in February by the Gonabadi Dervish religious order.
The New-York based group said Iranian courts in July and August sentenced at least six journalists affiliated with Majzooban Noor, a news website that focuses on the Gonabadi Dervish minority, and a journalist from the state-run outlet Ensaf to prison terms of between seven and 26 years.
A Turkey-based editor of Majzooban Noor told VOA earlier in August that the six jailed contributors had received prison terms totaling 71 years.
"There is no reason for them to have been given such heavy sentences other than the fact that the Iranian government is trying to apply pressure on us to shut down Majzooban Noor, which is the central news source of the Dervishes," said Alireza Roshan, an Iranian Dervish writer and poet.
Dervishes involved in the February protests had been demanding the release of arrested members of their community and the removal of security checkpoints around the house of their 90-year-old leader, Noor Ali Tabandeh. Members of the Sufi Muslim religious sect long have complained of harassment by Iran's Shiite Islamist rulers, who view them as heretics.
Roshan said Majzooban Noor has brought international attention to what it sees as human rights violations by Iranian authorities against the Dervishes, including the detention of dozens of women in February's crackdown on the Dervish protests. He said the Iranian government had not accused Majzooban Noor of any illegal activity that could warrant the apparent effort to silence the news outlet.
Iran's courts have accused the reporters of "spreading propaganda against the regime."
In addition to the jail time, the journalists also received sentences of public floggings, multiyear bans on leaving the country, and bans on political and media activity upon their eventual releases.
"These horrifying sentences lay bare Iranian authorities' depraved attitude toward journalists, as well as the hollow center of President Hassan Rouhani's promises of reform," Sherif Mansour, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program coordinator, said in Washington.
"Iran should end its vicious campaign against journalists and allow them to report freely," Mansour said.
A proposed South Korean law to reclassify abductees held in the North as missing persons, is drawing strong criticism from human rights advocates.
Abduction is a crime. Missing person is not classified under international law as a crime. So the question is why would you do that? asked Joanna Hosaniak with the Seoul based advocacy group Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR.)
NKHR was one of 11 human rights organizations that sent a joint letter of complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Office in Seoul about the proposed South Korean National Assembly bill that would remove the term abductee in referring to cases of South Korean citizens that are believed to have been captured and held indefinitely by the communist North.
The bill cites the need to replace the accusatory and criminal classification of abductee because it draws resistance from North Korea, and to replace it with the term missing person instead.
Forgotten families
After the 1950-53 Korean War, North Korea returned most prisoners of war, but reportedly forced thousands of South Korean citizens to remain to help rebuild national industries, schools and other basic state functions. In the decades after, thousands more were reportedly abducted by North Korea. Most of them were fishermen, who were purportedly taken to gain intelligence or serve some propaganda purpose in the ongoing inter-Korean cold war.
NKHR, working closely on this issue with victims families and the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, has documented more than 500 cases of Korean abductees still being held in the North, and of that number 300 are more than 70 years old.
Families of the abductees say the government in Seoul has long ignored this contentious issue because it would complicate efforts to confront the North when tensions are high over its nuclear provocations, or to engage Pyongyang when diplomatic efforts are underway to improve relations.
Hwang In-cheol has been speaking out for the release of his father and 11 other passengers and crew members aboard a Korea Air (KAL) airliner who were never returned, after the plane was hijacked into North Korea in 1969. He said that the South Korean government has refused to help.
My father and the rest of the 11 unreturned abductees remain forcefully detained in North Korea and they have been forgotten, said Hwang, who heads an advocacy group called the KAL Abductees Repatriation Committee.
International standards
The U.N. human rights commission has denounced North Korea for abducting an estimated 200,000 foreign nationals from at least 12 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand over the last 50 years.
North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens, and only five of the abductees and their families have returned to Japan.
A 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry report cited the abductions of individuals in South Korea and Japan among other widespread human rights violations committed by North Korea, including the establishment of a network of prison camps, forced labor, state sanctioned murder, torture and rape.
The U.N. General Assembly subsequently voted to refer the Kim Jong Un government to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. However, the measure stalled in the U.N. Security Council where the Norths allies, China and Russia, are believed to be preventing it from coming to a vote.
Pyongyang has called the human rights allegations fictitious, criticized the U.N.s investigation into North Korea as politically motivated, and criticized Japan for internationalizing the abduction issue.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who heads the ruling progressive Democratic Party and is a former human rights lawyer, has played a key role in reviving diplomatic talks with Pyongyang to increase inter-Korean cooperation and to work toward removing all nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula.
Moons ruling party proposal to reclassify abductees as missing persons is seen by some supporters as a way to diffuse the contentious issue and to gain Pyongyangs cooperation to resolve these claims without assigning blame or penalty.
Human rights advocates, however, argue the bill is contrary to international human rights standards referring to crimes of abduction and enforced disappearance and is a betrayal to the victims families that have demanded justice and accountability.
They feel their own country is failing them. Their own country is betraying them. I think this is completely wrong, Hosaniak said.
The coalition of human rights groups in Seoul have called upon the Special Rapporteur for human rights in North Korea and the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul to ensure that the South Korean government adheres to the past U.N. recommendation to firmly integrate human rights and accountability into any political process for the Korean Peninsula.
Syrian opposition fighters blew up bridges Friday linking areas they control to government-held territories in northwestern Syria in anticipation of a military offensive against their last stronghold in the country, activists and a war monitor said.
The explosions rocked the area in al-Ghab plains, south of Idlib and came after rebels detected government troop movement in the area, according to Rami Abdurrahman, head of the war monitoring Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Abdurrahman said two other bridges remain in the area and could be used by government forces to move in on the rebel stronghold.
Most of Idlib province and adjacent strips of Hama province remain in the hands of an assortment of armed groups, some Turkey-backed and others independent Islamist groups. But the strongest alliance of fighters is led by an al-Qaida-linked group that controls most of the area that is also home to some 3 million people.
Thousands of government troops and allied fighters have been amassing in areas surrounding Idlib while Russia, Syria's powerful ally, has said a military operation was necessary to weed out terrorists it blames for attacking its bases on the coast.
Turkey, which backs a number of opposition factions in Syria and has set up observation points that ring the rebel stronghold, has been seeking to curtail a full-scale offensive. Ankara fears a humanitarian and security crisis on its borders.
U.N. officials estimate an offensive would trigger a wave of displacement that could uproot up to 800,000 people. The area is already home to nearly 2 million displaced previously from other parts of Syria.
The Observatory said Turkey-backed rebels blew up the bridges as part of their reinforcement around the stronghold.
They have dug trenches, built berms and fortified their posts. Al-Qaida-linked authorities have also called on residents to take part in supporting the fighters, either through building reinforcements, volunteering to fight, or in field hospitals and kitchens to help men deployed on the frontline.
It also called on residents to take to the streets after Friday prayers against an offensive and in support of the fighters. Thousands protested in various towns in Idlib and Hama, denouncing threats of an attack and hailing the area's readiness to fight.
The campaign for Idlib is likely to be the last major theater of battle after seven years of brutal civil war.
U.S. President Donald Trump, at political rally in the Midwestern state of Indiana, again directed his ire at the countrys top national law enforcement officials.
Our Justice Department and our FBI have to start doing their job, doing it right and doing it well, Trump said Thursday evening. People are angry.
Whats happening is a disgrace, declared the president.
I wanted to stay out, but at some point if it doesnt straighten out properly ... I will get involved and Ill get in there if I have to, Trump added.
Sessions job
Earlier in the day at the White House, the president referred to the special counsels probe into whether his 2016 campaign colluded with Russians as an illegal investigation.
Speaking to the Bloomberg news agency, Trump said the job of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has recused himself from oversight of the investigation, is safe until, at least, the November midterm election.
I just would love to have him do a great job, Trump said during the Oval Office interview, adding that he would love to have him look at the other side, reiterating calls for the Justice Department to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the origins of the Russia probe.
I do question what is Jeff doing, he added.
The president has repeatedly ridiculed Sessions, the top U.S. law enforcement officer, as weak for not pursuing what the president and many other Republicans perceive as anti-Trump bias in the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
FBI refuted Trump claim
The FBI, on Wednesday, refuted the claim Trump made without citing evidence that the e-mails of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election, had her e-mails hacked by China.
Trump, earlier Wednesday had said federal law enforcement risked losing credibility if it did not further investigate the matter.
Look at what shes getting away with? Trump said about Clinton at the Indiana rally, prompting the crowd in the 11,000-seat Ford Center to briefly chant lock her up.
Trump has repeatedly called the investigation, headed by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is a former FBI director, a politically motivated witch hunt.
The president repeatedly asserts there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia.
Six convictions, 12 indictments
Muellers investigation has so far resulted in six people being convicted of crimes. Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, on August 21 was the first person to be convicted in a jury trial from the probe, which also returned indictments in July against 12 Russian intelligence officers in the computer hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.
On Twitter earlier in the day Trump denied referenced reports he has tried to have Sessions and Mueller removed from their positions.
Discussing his soon-to-depart White House Counsel, Donald McGahn, the president tweeted: I liked Don, but he was NOT responsible for me not firing Bob Mueller or Jeff Sessions. So much Fake Reporting and Fake News!
During the evenings rally in Evansville, Trump again targeted journalists for harsh criticism, accusing them of being in alliance with those who oppose him politically, including deep state radicals.
President Donald Trump informed Congress on Thursday that he was canceling pay raises due in January for most civilian federal employees, citing budget constraints. But the workers still could see a slightly smaller boost in their pay under a proposal lawmakers are considering.
Trump said he was axing a 2.1 percent across-the-board raise for most workers as well as locality pay increases averaging 25.7 percent and costing $25 billion.
"We must maintain efforts to put our nation on a fiscally sustainable course," said Trump, who last year signed a package of tax cuts that is forecast to expand the deficit by about $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
Trump cited the "significant'' cost of employing federal workers as justification for denying the pay increases, and called for federal worker pay to be based on performance and structured toward recruiting, retaining and rewarding "high-performing" workers and "those with critical skill sets.''
His announcement came as the country heads into the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Democrats sound off
The Democratic Party immediately criticized the announcement, citing the tax cuts Trump signed into law last December. The law provided steep tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families.
"Trump has delivered yet another slap in the face to American workers,'' said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez.
Under the law, the 2.1 percent raise takes effect automatically unless the president and Congress act to change it. Congress is currently debating a proposal for a slightly lower, 1.9 percent across-the-board raise to be included in a government funding bill that would require Trump's signature to keep most government functions operating past September.
Unions representing the 2 million-member federal workforce urged Congress to pass the 1.9 percent pay raise.
"President Trump's plan to freeze wages for these patriotic workers next year ignores the fact that they are worse off today financially than they were at the start of the decade,'' said J. David Cox, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 700,000 federal workers.
"They have already endured years of little to no increases and their paychecks cannot stretch any further as education, health care costs, gas and other goods continue to get more expensive,'' added Tim Reardon, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union.
Cox said federal worker pay and benefits have been cut by more than $200 billion since 2011, and workers are currently earning 5 percent less than they did at the start of the decade.
Higher deficit estimates
In July, the Trump administration sharply revised upward its deficit estimates compared to the estimates in the budget proposal it sent Congress in February. The worsening deficit reflects the impact of the $1.5 trillion, 10-year tax cuts, as well as increased spending for the military and domestic programs that Congress approved earlier this year.
The administration's July budget update projected a deficit of $890 million for the fiscal year that ends September 30, up from the February estimate of $873 billion. The $890 billion deficit projection represents a 34 percent increase from the $666 billion deficit the government recorded in 2017.
For 2019, the administration is projecting the deficit will again top $1 trillion and stay at that level for the next three years.
The only other period when the federal government ran deficits above $1 trillion was the four years from 2009 through 2012, when the government used tax cuts and increased spending to combat the 2008 fiscal crisis and the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.
Representative Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat who represents many federal workers, blamed what he said was Trump's mismanagement of the federal government.
"His tax bill exploded the deficit, and now he is trying to balance the budget," Connolly said.
Protests broke out in Uganda's capital Friday after police arrested a prominent opposition figure who was trying to leave the country for medical treatment.
Pop star-turned-lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, was arrested at the Kampala airport Thursday night. His lawyer told VOA that Kyagulanyi was taken to a government hospital, allegedly so authorities can determine whether he is truly ill.
The attorney, Medard Ssegona, says Kyagulanyi is "not in good health" and was referred for a medical examination in the United States.
Kyagulanyi was one of five lawmakers arrested earlier this month in connection with an incident where protesters threw stones at the vehicle of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Kyagulanyi and other lawmakers have said they were beaten and tortured while in detention.
Police Friday re-arrested another one of the five lawmakers, Francis Zaake, as he also tried to leave the country for medical treatment.
The protests erupted early Friday in the Kamwokya neighborhood of Kampala. Police and soldiers have deployed around the capital and that by midday there were no protests or clashes in the city.
One reporter was attacked and beaten by security forces while covering the events amid growing signs that security personnel are now deliberately targeting journalists.
The 74-year-old Museveni has led Uganda for 32 years. In July, a presidential age limit was removed from the constitution, allowing him to run for re-election when his term expires in 2021.
Halima Athumani and James Butty contributed to this report.
The United Nations expressed concern for civilians in the Idlib area in northwestern Syria, where government forces, backed by Russia, plan to launch a major offensive to reclaim the last rebel stronghold. U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura warned Thursday that chemical weapons use would be unacceptable. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports the U.N. official urged the Syrian government to allow civilians to leave Idlib before launching an offensive likely to cause another humanitarian catastrophe.
The U.N. Security Council warned Thursday that violations of the cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel could lead to a new conflict and urged international support for Lebanons armed forces and their stepped up deployment in the south and at sea.
The councils warning against a new conflict that none of the parties or the region can afford came in a resolution adopted unanimously extending the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL until Aug. 31, 2019.
Council members urged all parties to exercise maximum calm and restraint and refrain from any action or rhetoric that could jeopardize the cessation of hostilities or destabilize the region.
Peacekeepers since 1978
UNIFIL was originally created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops after a 1978 invasion. The mission was expanded after a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah militants so that peacekeepers could deploy along the Lebanon-Israel border, to help Lebanese troops extend their authority into their countrys south for the first time in decades.
The French-drafted resolution again urged all countries to enforce a 2006 arms embargo and prevent the sale or supply of weapons to any individual or entity in Lebanon not authorized by the government or U.N. force known as UNIFIL, an implicit criticism of the suppliers of weapons to Hezbollah.
Rodney Hunter, the U.S. Missions political coordinator, told the council that Hezbollah, with Irans help, has grown its arsenal in Lebanon in direct threat to peace along the boundary with Israel and the stability of all of Lebanon.
Hunter said 12 years after the council imposed an arms embargo, it is unacceptable that Hezbollah continues to flout this embargo, Lebanons sovereignty, and the will of the majority of Lebanese people.
Lebanese forces
Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war and the resolution reiterates the councils call for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent cease-fire and a long-term solution.
The council also stressed the necessity of an effective and durable deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon and the territorial waters of Lebanon at an accelerated pace.
It called for UNIFIL, which has more than 10,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese military to analyze the countrys ground forces and maritime assets.
The council also called for the Lebanese government to develop a plan to increase its naval capabilities ... with the goal of ultimately decreasing UNIFILs Maritime Task Force and transitioning its responsibilities to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Frances deputy U.N. ambassador Anne Gueguen stressed that only the presence of the Lebanese state and its armed forces will ensure security ... and create the conditions of lasting stability in the south of Lebanon, and along its territorial waters.
Political solution
The Security Council also commented on the current political situation in Lebanon.
Nearly four months after the country held its first general elections in nine years, politicians are still squabbling over the formation of a new government amid uncertainty over a long stagnating economy, struggling businesses and concerns over the currency.
The Security Council welcomed the holding of elections and the countrys progress toward reactivating government institutions, and called for the formation of a new Lebanese government without further delay.
The Trump administration has cut funding to the U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees, calling the organization irredeemably flawed.
The U.S. State Department ended decades of support to the organization Friday, saying the administration has carefully reviewed the issue and determined that the United States will not make additional contributions to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency).
Chris Gunness, a UNRWA spokesman, said his organization rejects in the strongest possible terms the criticism that UNRWAs schools, health centers, and emergency assistance programs are irredeemably flawed. He said the World Bank has described UNRWAs activities as global public good and recognized us for running one of the most effective school systems in the region, in which students regularly outperform their peers in public schools.
We are extremely grateful for the widespread solidarity, Gunness said, that our unprecedented situation has generated and the generosity of many donors that has allowed us to open the school year on time for 526,000 girls and boys this very week.
A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the agency enjoys the full confidence of the Secretary-General and that Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWAs chief, has led a rapid, innovative and tireless effort to overcome the unexpected financial crisis UNRWA has faced this year.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.N. agencys endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries is simply unsustainable and has been in crisis mode for many years.
UNRWA provides health care, education and social services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The agency says it provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees, most of whom are descendants of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes during the war that led to Israel's establishment in 1948.
The United States supplies nearly 30 percent of the total budget of UNRWA and donated $355 million to the agency in 2016. However, in January, the Trump administration withheld $65 million it had been due to provide UNRWA and released only $60 million in funds.
Last week, the Trump administration announced it would cut more than $200 million in economic aid to the Palestinians, following a review of the funding for projects in the West Bank and Gaza. A senior State Department official said the decision took into account the challenges the international community faces in providing assistance to Gaza, where "Hamas control endangers the lives of Gaza's citizens and degrades an already dire humanitarian and economic situation."
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs Gaza, seized the coastal territory in 2007 from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. That led to Israel and Egypt placing severe economic restrictions on the region.
Under the Trump administration, Washington has taken a number of actions that have angered the Palestinians, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December and moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv in May. The Palestinian leadership has been boycotting Washington's peace efforts since the Jerusalem announcement.
The U.S. Navy says it has interrupted a weapons smuggling operation in the Gulf of Aden, amid the ongoing war in Yemen.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham, deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet, seized an illicit shipment of arms from a stateless skiff in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, the Navy said in a statement. The seizure happened Tuesday.
A U.S. military video, released early Friday, allegedly shows the small-ship smuggling operation.
The Navy statement said the Dunham located a dhow, a traditional ship type common in the Persian Gulf region, transferring covered packages to the skiff. The skiff was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding, conducted in accordance with international law, the Navy said.
The Dunhams search and seizure team found a cache of more than 1,000 AK-47 automatic rifles aboard the skiff.
The Navy said it has not identified the source of the weapons, which are now in its custody.
The skiffs engines were inoperable, according to the Navy. The vessels distressed mariners were brought aboard the Dunham and were later transferred to the Yemeni Coast Guard.
The United States is rallying India to tackle pressing security issues, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo soon to embark on his first trip to New Delhi as the top U.S. diplomat.
Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will hold high-level talks with Indias foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, and defense minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, September 6, also known as the U.S.-India 2+2 dialogue.
The 2+2 is a major opportunity to enhance our engagement with India on critical diplomatic and security priorities, said a senior State Department official, adding the dialogue is a strong indication of the deepening strategic partnership between the worlds largest democracies.
Curbing oil imports from Iran
Halting Indian oil imports from Iran and reducing the South Asian countrys reliance on Russian arms are said to be high on the agenda.
The U.S. is pushing all countries to end Iranian oil purchases as Washington seeks to thwart Teherans financial revenue. India is a major buyer of Iran's crude oil.
Our goal remains to get to zero oil imports from Iran as quickly as possible, ideally by November 4th, a senior State Department official told VOA during a briefing Thursday.
He added Washington is prepared to work with countries that are reducing their imports regarding a sanctions waiver on a case-by-case basis.
U.S. officials said India shares the U.S. concerns about the urgency to address Iranian malign behavior.
President Donald Trump announced earlier in August that Washington would resume sanctions against Iran's energy-related transactions, as well as business conducted by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran, on November 5.
Boosting US-India defense ties
During the September talks, Secretary of State Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mattis are expected to focus on strengthening defense ties with India.
The U.S. declared India a major defense partner in 2016. And Washington recently granted New Delhi the so-called Strategy Trade Authority Tier 1 designation, which enables American companies to export dual-use military items under a more streamlined license process. Such license exceptions also allow India to receive more U.S. high technology and military equipment.
Defense-related trade between the two countries is estimated to reach $18 billion by 2019 from essentially zero in 2008, according to U.S officials, who also note that Washington is in regular discussions with New Delhi to avoid engaging in potential sanctionable activities with Russia, including the purchase of military equipment.
The U.S. is imposing wide-ranging sanctions on Russia, under which any country engaged with its defense and intelligence sectors could face secondary U.S. sanctions. And Indias planned purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems has raised concerns among U.S. officials.
Ahead of the high-level 2+2 dialogue, a top Pentagon official said the U.S. cannot guarantee a waiver from sanctions would be provided if India purchases major defense systems from Russia.
We would still have very significant concerns if India pursued major new platforms and systems [from Russia], said Randy Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, during a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace forum on Wednesday.
Schriver said media reports from India suggesting the South Asian country would get a waiver are a bit misleading.
Xenophobic attacks have surged in South Africa in the past week, with at least four foreigners killed in clashes with angry locals who accused them of taking scarce jobs. On Friday morning, a new anti-foreigner political party marched in Johannesburg, demanding that non-South Africans leave the country.
The 150 or so protesters who marched through downtown Johannesburg demanded the deportation of all undocumented foreigners in South Africa by the end of the year.
Their demonstration followed a new outburst of deadly xenophobic violence in the Soweto area of Johannesburg. Police say 27 people were arrested, and two face murder charges.
Friday's march was led by Thembelani Ngubane, the founder of the new party, known as the African Basic Movement. He says the party's views on foreign nationals are central to its platform.
"We cannot allow foreigners, even legal foreigners, to do small businesses in South Africa," he told VOA. "That is for South Africans only. Illegal foreigners cannot do business. The constitution says they must be deported."
Some 2 million foreign nationals live in South Africa, according to the most recent census.
Ngubane's group believes that foreign nationals take jobs and bring crime into the country. However, researchers have found that immigrants are often job creators, and are not disproportionately responsible for violent crime.
Sharon Ekambaram, who leads the refugee and migrant rights program for legal advocacy group Lawyers for Human Rights, says her group is filing a legal complaint against the party. She says the party is spreading hate speech, which is against the law in South Africa.
"It is dangerous; it is not only dangerous to foreign nationals, our brothers and sisters coming from our neighboring countries, predominantly black African brothers and sisters, but it is also dangerous for South Africans and poor communities, and I think that we, that law enforcement agencies, need to be much more visible," she told VOA. "We call on the police to ensure that they take action; this is unlawful."
Both of South Africa's main political parties, the ruling African National Congress and the opposition Democratic Alliance, have condemned the recent violence and say xenophobia has no place in the Rainbow Nation.
But as the angry protesters marched through the streets of Johannesburg, Malawian national Tasira Banda, working at a local nail salon, spoke about the protesters, and about South Africans in general.
"You see, they are saying, 'Foreigners, we are stealing their jobs,'" she said. "Well, they can't do what I'm doing, you see? They will say, 'Foreigners, they are taking our wives.' They can't support their wives. All they do is drink beer, or go and steal, that's it."
She turned back to her work.
"Are we done?" she added.
Interview with Congresswoman Karen Bass, Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Africa.
United States Congresswoman Karen Bass of the 37th Congressional District in California, travelled to Zimbabwe recently to observe the nations July 30th harmonized elections. Congresswoman Bass was part of the observer mission organized by the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, which also comprised former Liberian President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Interim President of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba-Panza, former U.S. Assistant Secretaries of State for African Affairs, Connie Berry Newman and Ambassador Johnnie Carson.
Congresswoman Bass said she was impressed by the 85% turnout for the crucial elections, but disappointed by the post-election violence, that she said marred an otherwise well-organized and peaceful election. Commenting on the follow up to the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Congresswoman Bass said opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance has to accept the outcome of the election, and push to win the next elections in 2023. In an interview with Gibbs Dube of VOAs Zimbabwe Service, Congresswoman Bass said she wants to see a Zimbabwe where the rights of all citizens are protected, and the opposition given room to hold peaceful protests, as guaranteed by the constitution.
Gibbs Dube (GD): You were part of a joint observation mission to Zimbabwe organized by the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. What were your key findings?
Congresswoman Bass (Cong. Bass): My key findings was that the process appeared to be very well organized, it was peaceful. I will tell you that I was envious of an 85% turnout in an election which I certainly have not seen in the United States. And everything went really well. The problem was the days after the election and I left two days after, and you know of course that the opposition rejected the results, and felt that the counting was not accurate, especially the transmission of the results from the polling place, and you know that the (Constitutional) Court ruled in favor of the election results. So I think that that was a very sad outcome to what looked like a very well organized and peaceful process. But obviously if you have a large percentage of the population that is not happy with the results, then I am concerned for what will take place in Zimbabwe in the near future.
GD: Now the opposition says it is not recognizing Mr. Mnangagwa as president. What is your view on that?
Cong. Bass: Well I think thats a very difficult thing. The courts have ruled, that is the process, and so to not recognize him as president, I dont know what that means. He is the president, and so I am hoping that they will respond in a peaceful manner and that they will be the peaceful opposition. They did win seats in parliament, they are in parliament, they are part of the government.
GD: So looking at the way things are going, you know, Mr. Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance is saying no, you know, hes the legitimately-elected president of Zimbabwe and he is digging into his trenches. So whats the way forward for Zimbabwe?
Cong. Bass: Well again, I hope the way forward is peaceful opposition. I mean look, look at our situation here. I dont like our current president and we had a very messy process here in the United States and many people questioned the legitimacy. But he is the president and as long as he is the president, you know I can say I dont want him to be the president all day long, but I am a member of Congress and I function as part of government and hes the president. And I am hoping that well be able to change that in 2020 if not before.
GD: Now with the argument that is being brought forward by Mr. Chamisa, hes saying he actually got 2.6 million votes against Mr. Mnangagwas 2 million somewhere there. So now as far as he is concerned, he says he won the election and therefore he is the president of Zimbabwe. So now, what advise can you give him?
Cong. Bass: My advice would be for him to continue to participate as a member of parliament, to expand and organize his base and to run for the presidency again in the next election.
GD: Now looking at another issue, we know that the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act (ZIDERA) was actually updated. It lays out this framework of improving bi-lateral relations between the U.S. and Zimbabwe. Whats your take right now since Zimbabwes election?
Cong. Bass: Well, whether or not we remove sanctions and we move forward in our relations, is going to be how the government responds. So I do want Chamisa to be a loyal opposition but what I dont want to see, is I dont want to see the government commit human rights abuses. And I dont want to see them arrest, incarcerate and attack the opposition. So both sides have to maintain peace. And if peace is maintained and the opposition is allowed to function as a legitimate opposition, then the United States should examine our relation with Zimbabwe, and see how we move forward.
GD: As the Ranking Member of the (Foreign Affairs) Subcommittee on Africa, what would you recommend to the U.S. government in terms of relations with Zimbabwe?
Cong. Bass: What I would recommend is that we monitor the situation, we continue to stay engaged, and we encourage the government to respond to the opposition in a peaceful manner and we encourage the opposition to protest, to be vocal, but to do it in a peaceful manner.
Stratovolcano 3562 m (11,686 ft)Ecuador, -0.08S / -77.66W(4 out of 5)1541, 1590, 1691, 1748, 1797, 1802, 1843, 1843, 1844, 1856, 1871, 1894, 1898-1906, 1912, 1926, 1929, 1936, 1944, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1972, 1973-74, 1976, 2002 (large eruption), 2004 (Nov) - 2005 (Jan), 2005 (June) - 2006 (March), 2008 (July) - ongoingExplosive and effusive.(5 days expedition to Ecuador to observe volcanic activity from close)
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A total solar eclipse will occur on 14 Dec 2020 and pass over southern Chile and Argentina. Chile's most active volcano Villarrica is located exactly on the center line where the eclipse will be best to observe.We offer you the unique chance to combine the eclipse with a tour to one the world's most beautiful volcanic areas - the Lake District in Chile.
One of the most bizarre landscapes on earth: Dallol is a vast and very active hydrothermal field creating a colorful array of hot springs, small geysers, salt towers, colorful lakes and ponds in the middle of the deepest part of the Danakil desert and the Karum salt lake.
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Free opening of state museums could be final Domenica al Museo in Rome.
Italy's state-run museums and archaeological sites are open free of charge on 2 September, in what could be the final installment of the monthly Domenica al Museo.
In July Italy's new culture minister Alberto Bonisoli announced that would be scrapping the popular initiative - which involves the free opening of state museums on the first Sunday of each month - after this summer.
Since its launch in July 2014 #Domenicalmuseo has attracted 12 million visitors to Italy's museums, registering 3.5 million visitors in 2017 alone.
Separately, Rome's municipal-run museums are also free on 2 September - for residents of the capital - for information see Musei in Comune website
During the summer Rome introduced the 5 MIC card granting the city's residents unlimited access to municipal museums for one year.
Full details of Domenica al Museo can be found on the Beni Culturali website while for comprehensive list of Rome's museums consult Wanted in Rome website
The legislation, which was the subject of intense lobbying by the broadband industry, would prevent Internet providers from blocking, slowing or favoring certain websites. It would bar providers from collecting new fees from apps and sites as a condition of reaching Internet users. And it would make it illegal for carriers to exempt apps from consumers monthly data caps if doing so could harm competing start-ups and small businesses in abusive ways.
United Continental on Friday increased its checked-bag fees on routes to and from North America, the Caribbean and Central America, the company said. The parent company of the No. 3 U.S. airline will now charge $30 for the first checked bag on the routes, up from $25. The company said that charges for the second checked bags within the United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Caribbean and Central America will rise by $5 to $40. "We are making adjustments to our checked-bag fees in select markets most of which have not been changed for the past eight years," United said in a statement.
It is also unclear how the Mexican government will respond to Trumps bid to cut Canada out
of the free-trade agreement, a quarter-century after the original NAFTA was signed. The notification sent by the U.S. represents a step forward in the formalization of the understanding reached between Mexico and the U.S. in relation to NAFTA, Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo said in a statement. Mexico will participate in the negotiation of trilateral issues, while continuing to promote an agreement to which Canada is a party.
Within each section of this grid, Marwundjuls distinctive cross-hatching, or rarrk, is applied in white, yellow, red, and black stripes. Sometimes the rarrk works against the grain of the overall grid, sometimes it is aligned. The colored stripes formed by the rarrk may continue in line with those in adjacent sections, but more often they sit at an angle. The eye strains to find a formula behind the jazzy complexity of the whole. But again and again, it is confounded.
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Dyllans moved into the Georgetown space formerly occupied by Sea Catch, a historical building right alongside the canal. If it werent so mosquitoey in these waning days of summer, the patio would be a prime seat and when the waterway is eventually refilled, it will be a great people-watching spot. Inside, the restaurant is dark and clubby, with wood and azure blue accents on an attractive bar. Another bar, in the pass-through between the host stand and the dining room, is a standing-room-only spot that Carlin calls cold storage, meant to evoke the refrigeration of the raw bar, where bountiful seafood platters are available. You can sip cocktails by beverage director Andra Johnson, whose list includes riffs on classics like an old-fashioned and a Manhattan, but with interesting ingredients such as the aperitif quinquina.
Wired solutions, however, are not necessarily a panacea, particularly in low-income communities where parents lack reliable online access. School districts such as the San Jose Unified School District, in the heart of Northern Californias Silicon Valley, take a more proactive approach. The district, which includes both wealthy and working-class neighborhoods, surveys parents every year to learn more about the needs of those communities. The district also has a family engagement office that works with its more than three dozen schools to determine the optimal times to hold events early in the morning, on Saturdays, for example to help working parents, some of whom hold multiple jobs, find ways to get engaged.
If CNN did tell its readers and viewers that Davis did not comment when he was indeed one of their confidential sources, that breaks a bond of trust with the public, said Kathleen Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin. Its deceptive and wrong. And if it is the case, CNN needs to be as transparent as possible immediately and develop practices to ensure this never happens again.
Which means that by the time Straight Outta Compton premiered at your neighborhood multiplex in the summer of 2015, it felt redundant. Anyone who grew up on N.W.A.s seething street knowledge had already seen a much better movie inside their heads and without having to set foot on Crenshaw Boulevard. When the film critic David Thomson talks about the emotional metaphysics of cinema, he might as well be describing what it feels like to pump F--- tha Police out of your factory car stereo while coasting down any-block, USA: We are having what may be a profound or devastating experience, but we are not there.
The conversation, as they all do these days, turned to Trump. Like others here at the Wall, Will and Carol couldnt stand for the presidents flipping and flopping on whether to keep the White House flag at half-staff. Some passing through thought of McCain as one of Trumps toughest critics, others not so much. One couple, Jane and David Lang, in from Minnesota, said that even though they are both big Trump supporters, they still thought of McCain as an honorable man.
A spokeswoman for Forrester Construction said the library never notified the builder of problems. Forrester had hired subcontractors Galaxy Glass and Prospect Waterproofing. A project manager at Galaxy Glass said his companys job was to install the glass and the gutter system, and that leaks were the result of the buildings design or poor maintenance. The president of Prospect Waterproofing said his company did not work on the skylight and that the library has not notified him of any problems.
In a statement, Ascension said a new, seven-member board of directors will help guide this transformation under the same three core principles that has served as a foundation throughout this process: commitment to the Mission, that Providence is not leaving the District, and that Providence will be transitioning to best serve the needs of the community.
Arming teachers will recklessly endanger both students and educators, said Scott, who is the top Democrat on the House Education Committee and who organized the letter. He called on Congress to clarify that taxpayer money cannot be used for this purpose if DeVos will not do so.
Their lawyers are locating parents in their home countries to ask whether they want their children sent back, or would rather have them remain in the United States to pursue their own immigration claims. At the same time, the lawyers are trying to bring some deported parents back to seek permission to live in the United States a decision that might end up with U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw, who issued the reunification order.
Elliott Curzon, Claude Moores director, said the farm has known about the draft report since 2015 but called it a hit piece that was never presented to the farm. He said most of the issues in the report are disputable or have been resolved.
Bad things happen to young people in this city, said Ronald Moten, a youth mentor who has worked with Check It for about six years. Theyre always worried about their safety when theyre out there, but when they come here they feel safe. This is their safe haven.
Mims explained he had run shirtless from the water park to find his missing child and was on the phone to meet his wife who had his shirt in her bag. What followed, according to Mims, was a beating by Six Flags guards who pinned him and pushed his head into the concrete, bloodied, just outside the park as he headed for his car. Now, Mims is suing Six Flags for $10 million.
Thursdays hearing centered on what prison sentence should be given to David Lagunes-Bolanos, 18. He was not accused of holding the gun inside the home along University Boulevard, near the border between Montgomery and Prince Georges counties. But when police arrested him a short time after the confrontation, they found a machete-style knife that was 12 to 15 inches long and concealed inside his pants leg, according to court records. The records said he was a member of MS-13.
Jholie was last seen leaving her home in the 4200 block of Sonia Court about 4:15 p.m. on Jan. 12, according to a post on Facebook by her mother. She told her sister that she would be right back but didnt text again until about 8 p.m. to say she was going to a party in Norfolk. That was the last time her family heard from her.
The board said it believes that Suiter picked a junior detective to accompany him to the 900 block of Bennett Place, sent the detective out of view and darted into the lot. There, they say, he fired two shots into the air before shooting himself behind the ear. The partner said he saw Suiters body either fall or just after it had fallen, with gun smoke in the air and no shooter in sight. Suiters gun, which the board said has been conclusively determined to have fired the fatal shot, was found under his body.
The affidavit says the off-duty officer struggled with his attackers, who he said struck him even after he identified himself as a police officer and managed to show credentials. The officer said one of the young men struck him in the back of the head, causing him to black out.
We cannot balance the budget on the backs of our federal employees, and I will work with my House and Senate colleagues to keep the pay increase in our appropriations measures that we vote on in September, Comstock, who has 35,500 federal workers in her Northern Virginia district, said Thursday.
Ten hurt as roof collapses at Chicago water plant: Ten people were seriously injured Thursday when an explosion caused a section of roof to collapse at a Chicago water reclamation plant, trapping two of the injured people inside, authorities said. The other people who were injured were taken to hospitals in serious-to-critical condition, Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said. The explosion occurred shortly before 11 a.m. at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant's sludge concentration building on Chicago's far South Side, said the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which operates the plant. Authorities said they are investigating whether the explosion was caused by a buildup of methane, a byproduct of the water treatment process.
In Maines case, the unusually warm waters could also affect sea life, though there havent been any studies yet. Squid and butterfish that like warm water could migrate north from their usual mid-Atlantic habitats, possibly causing problems for puffins that feed by diving into the water. And the quantity of plankton and small shrimp, which prefer cold water, could drop. That might force right whales, which normally feed in the Bay of Fundy, to remain farther north in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where their prey would be more plentiful.
ACTBAC a group from nearby Alamance County that formed to protect local Confederate markers following protests in 2015 gathered for a twilight service at the site Thursday. They carried red signs with the message Save our monuments. Preserve our history up to the statues plinth, where they unfurled a giant Confederate flag. They were outnumbered by a gathering of about 200 counterprotesters who distributed glowsticks and danced, before following ACTBAC off campus with chants of Nazis, go home! Police twice used pepper spray on the restive crowd and made three arrests for resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer. None of the three was affiliated with the university.
TV cameraman killed in Cancun: A cameraman from a TV station in the Mexican beach destination of Cancun was fatally shot, officials said. The Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office said Javier Rodriguez Valladares of the Canal 10 station and another man were killed Wednesday. Authorities were investigating but said Rodriguez's killing did not appear to be work-related. The Quintana Roo Human Rights Commission said he was the third journalist killed in the state this year and at least the ninth killed in Mexico this year.
They may not be able to say whether the trial took place in a federal or local court. They may not be able to list the eight felonies for which Manafort was convicted or the 10 charges on which the jury deadlocked. But thanks to nationwide media attention, most folks probably know about his prosecution and conviction.
U.S. goals in Syria have been sketched publicly by Pompeo and Mattis: withdrawal of all Iranian-commanded forces from the country, rather than just from a 50-mile buffer zone along the Israel border, as in the deal Russia arranged; and a political transition that can prevent Syria from becoming a terrorist base again and stabilize it enough that refugees can return to their homes. Pompeo and Mattis want more U.S. involvement in the Geneva deliberations on a political transition, too.
What we havent focused on, yet, is how these actions hurt ordinary people. Thanks to tax frauds such as Manafort, there is less revenue for the government to spend on roads and schools. Thanks to men such as Trump, who routinely cheated his suppliers and broke labor laws, workplaces are more dangerous and small businesses falter. And because we have allowed the real estate markets in large Western cities to become vast storehouses for money stolen from Russia and Africa, ordinary workers cant afford houses and life is more expensive for everyone. In Moneyland, a book to be published next week, British journalist Oliver Bullough describes the direct links between the ludicrous wealth on display in New York and London and the impoverishment of societies all across Africa and Asia all enabled by Western financial institutions. We have created this system and we can end it.
These days, one of the films Im working on is about the writer Ernest Hemingway. McCain volunteered to be interviewed for it, and not long ago we were able to get him on camera to share a few thoughts about his favorite Hemingway novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls. As he had noted elsewhere over the years, McCain long identified with the books flawed hero, Robert Jordan, who struggles with moral dilemmas and is grievously wounded in this tale of the Spanish Civil War. Contemplating Jordans story, McCain said, helped him survive the horrors of his imprisonment.
When the First Congress debated what became the Bill of Rights, a member questioned why the drafters enumerated only certain rights. Massachusetts Rep. Theodore Sedgwick replied: They might have gone into a very lengthy enumeration of rights; they might have declared that a man should have a right to wear his hat if he pleased; that he might get up when he pleased, and go to bed when he thought proper, but [I] would ask the gentleman whether he thought it necessary to enter these trifles in a declaration of rights, under a government where none of them were intended to be infringed. By what principles do you determine what rights are neither trifles nor enumerated?
Russell was not a racial firebrand in the mold of Mississippi Sens. Theodore Bilbo and James Eastland, who frequently used racial epithets, spoke openly of black inferiority and slyly encouraged violence in opposition to school desegregation and black suffrage. Yet neither was Russell simply a casual racist as was common to that era. He was a prominent leader of what Russell himself bragged was the last ditch defense of white supremacy. That commitment to white supremacy was not a tangential part of Russells legacy. A couple of days after the Southern filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act failed, Russell bragged that no group of men could have worked harder in a nobler cause. Nor did Russell ever recant his role in the fight to preserve white supremacy before his death in 1971; the following year, a Senate office building was named for him.
Confronted with a similar issue regarding whether Yale University should retain the name of alumnus John C. Calhoun on one of its buildings, a committee at that school usefully suggested that contemporary decision-makers consider whether the namesakes principal legacy fundamentally conflicts with their mission today and whether it was contested during that persons lifetime that is, whether the namesake could have reasonably been expected to think and act differently but did not. These criteria could guide what should be a serious reexamination by the Senate of its decision, nearly half a century ago, to honor a man who resisted civil rights well into the 1960s. There has been some quiet progress in this area lately: Florida recently decided to replace the statue of a Confederate general that had stood for the state in the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall with Mary McLeod Bethune, a black educator and civil rights leader. Now it is time to change the status quo with respect to Russell.
At my kids school, I have begged for a real, enforceable phone policy for the past two years. What about an over-the-door shoe pouch where phones are held during class time? How about a zero-tolerance policy where phones are taken if they are seen or heard and can be retrieved at the end of the day? I came armed with research, ideas and anecdotes, but there was always someone who could find a reason it wouldnt work. No one was brave enough to try.
If Republicans do lose Congress in the fall, it wont be because evangelicals didnt turn out to vote, though that surely would be a redemptive act. It will be because of Trump himself. A Post/ABC News poll released Friday found that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of Trumps job performance. The same survey also found that 63 percent support special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign. And 64 percent said they support Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom Trump has been threatening to fire. A Democratic victory in the midterms will happen because of the GOPs silence in the face of Trumps untenable behavior, their lack of courage in condemning his draconian execution of policies, and the utter hypocrisy of allowing such a foul-mouthed, race-baiting misogynist to occupy the Oval Office after many of these same paragons of virtue impeached Bill Clinton for lying about his irresponsible affair with an intern.
In PHH Corporation , Kavanaugh explains exactly how multimember commissions such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Communications Commission are different from departments such as the State Department headed up by a single person. Its a careful and subtle opinion, blending fidelity to the framers original understanding of the Constitution with respect for modern developments such as the rise of the administrative state. It reflects a persuasive vision of the Constitutions commitment to a unitary executive. The Constitution explicitly and emphatically vests the executive power in one president and all lower executive officials ultimately answer to him, in one way or another albeit in slightly different ways, depending on the details of the lower office. Unlike extreme versions of unitary executive theory famously associated with the conservative legal scholar John Yoo, Kavanaughs is a modest version of the theory, respectful of modern independent agencies and noncommittal on contested issues of presidential war power.
In a better world, someone with Sessionss repugnant record on civil rights, voting rights, criminal justice and immigration would get nowhere near the attorney generals office. Right now, however, even his ideological enemies know he needs to stay in that job because hes somehow all that stands between the country and another Saturday Night Massacre.
McCains years as a prisoner of war gave him a righteousness perhaps nobody can match. He never forgot that political opponents are not his enemies, and that there are things more important than winning elections. But perhaps Graham could show a little backbone? When CNNs Dana Bash asked him to name new wingmen or women, Graham mentioned Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) the fierce partisan who blew up Grahams immigration deal, was patently dishonest about Trumps shithole countries meeting and was dubbed the Steve King of the Senate by Graham for his anti-immigrant views, in reference to the ultraconservative Iowa representative.
At one level, Purdy and Kesler (and other Trump defenders ready to waive our norms) are obviously right: Not every norm is good, and overturning certain norms can be constructive. Moreover, Purdy argues that a focus on norms can distract and frustrate the important tasks of attacking growing economic inequality and empowering citizens in a genuine democracy. Its true that at times in our history (and sometimes now), norms have supported unjust distributions of power that led to other forms of injustice. The widespread acceptance of slavery and later segregation, the view that women are unequal to men, the tolerance of the power of money in the Gilded Age: All were norms we are much better off without. (We should say that we, too, share Purdys worries about the resurgence of moneys power in norms, in how our politics is structured and in the law.)
Today, critics on both left and right are happy to wave their fingers at postmodern theory, so long as they can blame it for the Trump electorates unprecedented disregard for the truth. In Quillette an online magazine obsessed with the evils of critical theory and postmodernism Matt McManus reflects on The Emergence and Rise of Postmodern Conservatism. From the right, David Ernst contends that Trump Is The First President To Turn Postmodernism Against Itself . And from the left, Kakutani recently wrote in the Guardian: Relativism has been ascendant since the culture wars began in the 1960s. Back then, it was embraced by the New Left, who were eager to expose the biases of western, bourgeois, male-dominated thinking; and by academics promoting the gospel of postmodernism, which argued that there are no universal truths, only smaller personal truths perceptions shaped by the cultural and social forces of ones day. Since then, relativistic arguments have been hijacked by the populist right.
The state and local police reports, published Thursday night by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, say that ORourke, who was 26 at the time, was driving drunk at what a witness called a high rate of speed in a 75 mph zone of an interstate when he lost control of his Volvo and hit a truck.
After careful consultation, particularly with the institutional clients Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and the North Carolina Democratic Party, plaintiffs have reluctantly concluded that on the unique facts presented here attempting to impose a new districting plan in time for the 2018 election would be too disruptive and potentially counterproductive, their lawyers said in a brief filed with the court.
But the public is squarely behind Sessions. Sixty-four percent of Americans do not think Trump should fire Sessions, with 19 percent saying he should and 17 percent saying they have no opinion. Nearly half of Republicans, 47 percent, say Trump should not fire the attorney general, with 31 percent saying he should.
Cipollone is active in the Catholic community, having served on the board of the Catholic Information Center, a group that organizes events in Washington, as well as the Board of Visitors of the Columbus School of Law. He is listed as a part of the leadership team of the Foundation Stone Institute, a group that aims to strengthen ties between Catholics and Israelis. He was a founding member of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, according to his biography with that group.
The presidents tweetstorm late this week reflects a certain agitation with the news swirling around him, according to people close to Trump, including a growing anxiety within the White House about the possibility of the I-word as the president sometimes refers to impeachment and what a Democratic takeover of the House would mean. His tweet warning that fake books about his administration are pure fiction, for instance, was viewed by some as an effort to mitigate any possible damage from Bob Woodwards upcoming book, Fear: Trump in the White House.
Trump, diverting attention from the focus of his scheduled event, Americans retirement security, said that Bloomberg News had violated an agreement not to report a portion of an interview with him in which he criticized Canada and said he did not intend to make any concessions in the final rounds of negotiations over a revised North American Free Trade Agreement.
Before July 3, John had to send a single-family TOPA form to his tenant. Now, he only has to send Gale a notice that he intends to sell. A copy of the form (referred to as Form 1) must also be sent to the D.C. Office of Tenant Advocate as well as to the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Since TOPA is not applicable in our example, John is free to sign a contract with anyone and ultimately go to closing. Of course, Gale still has all the other rights available to tenants here in the District.
There was bad news and good news. Huynh found out that the man he had wondered about all his life had died when Huynh was just 4, in a car accident in the United States in 1974. But he also found an older half brother and a half sister and his fathers two younger sisters, who live near him in Houston. Both my aunties really love me, he said. He cant imagine leaving his entire family behind now.
The despicable murder of Alexander Zakharchenko is the latest evidence that those who chose the path of terror, violence, and fear dont want to seek a peaceful, political solution to the conflict, and dont want to lead a real dialogue with the people of the southeast, Putin said. They are making a dangerous bet on destabilizing the situation.
Among the administrations many complaints about the agency to which the United States contributed about one third of a $1.1 billion 2017 budget is the way the United Nations calculates the number of Palestinians officially recognized as refugees. It would like to change the number from the more than 5 million who are counted today to the few hundred thousand alive when the agency was created seven decades ago, according to U.S. officials.
If Judiciary or Oversight Committee Republicans used materials during their questioning of Bruce Ohr that [the Justice Department] made available only to [the Intelligence Committee] but not to their committees, that would be in violation of rules that are supposed to govern the handling and use of sensitive information provided to the committee by executive-branch agencies, said a Democratic aide to the intelligence panel who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the record. No vote, which should precede any disclosure, has been taken in the committee to share or release any such information.
In an announcement to be made within the next several weeks, the administration plans to voice its disapproval of the way the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, spends the funds and to call for a sharp reduction in the number of Palestinians recognized as refugees, dropping it from more than 5 million, including descendants, to fewer than a tenth of that number, or those still alive from when the agency was created seven decades ago, according to officials familiar with the decision.
In a statement Friday, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said its regional team received a letter Thursday from Nicaraguas Foreign Ministry saying it would be the last day for its investigative team in Nicaragua. The letter, signed by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada, said the underlying reasons, causes and conditions that led Nicaragua to invite the United Nations in the first place no longer existed.
Brazil is the worlds largest coffee producer, responsible for one-third of the worlds beans. But farm owners have always depended upon cheap labor, first from more than 1.5 million African slaves who worked on the plantations in the 19th century and later from Italian immigrants. Today, most laborers come from impoverished Bahia state in Brazil, and they are often lured to the plantations with fake promises of high wages and decent working conditions.
On Thursday, the United Nations refugee agency said in a statement that it had evacuated about 300 refugees and migrants held in the Ain Zara detention center to a safer site because they were in clear danger of getting caught in the hostilities. Most of the evacuated were from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia all nations suffering from conflict or political repression.
Transurban boss Scott Charlton has assured shareholders their capital will be paid back after acknowledging the enormity of the $4.6 billion equity raising the toll road giant is asking investors to fund so it can buy a stake in Sydney's WestConnex project.
Mr Charlton said shareholders they would be paid back once the 33-kilometre project is raising money from motorists, while also setting Transurban for future road aquisition.
The Transurban consortium has won the bidding for road. Credit:AAP
The NSW government on Friday announced that a consortium led by Transurban was the successful bidder in the sale of a 51 per cent stake in WestConnex, beating a rival group lead by IFM Investors.
The $9.3 billion sale price was ahead of market expectations of about $5 billion to $6 billion, and Transurban surprised investors further by announcing a $4.2 billion equity raising to cover its 50 per cent share of the bid.
Amar Nath Barman was the guy who puts the shopping catalogue in your mailbox. Like thousands of others, he walked kilometre after kilometre stuffing the advertising pamphlets he had folded the night before into letterboxes.
In return, these walkers typically get paid a rate per 1000 households, with one industry insider saying it would take about five hours to complete the round. For that, a walker could get a total payment of as little as $20 on a weekday and $12 on a weekend, when the volume of pamphlets is smaller.
This rate, which is well below the minimum wage, is defended by the companies involved, which argue that the walkers are independent contractors. But the reality for the people walking the street is that they may have limited employment options and often end up fighting just to get the pay they are owed.
I have tried three different companies - all did the same thing. They pay me for the first day or two and then stop, even after many days of work for them, said Mr Barman, an international student from Bangladesh.
Chelsea Manning will appear at the Sydney Opera House via satellite from Los Angeles on Sunday, after the department of Home Affairs confirmed it had not yet made a final decision on whether to grant her a visa on Friday afternoon.
Ms Manning, a whistleblower and activist who was released from prison in 2017 after serving seven years for leaking classified military and diplomatic documents to Wikileaks, was scheduled to attend this weekend's Antidote festival but earlier this week the Australian government informed her of its intention to refuse her visa on character grounds.
New Zealand has allowed Chelsea Manning to enter, but the Australian government hasn't made up its mind. Credit:AP
The tour promoter, Think Inc., has been lobbying Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and new Immigration Minister David Coleman this week to use their ministerial discretion and grant Ms Manning entry to Australia.
"We are of the view that she poses no threat to members of the Australian community," a spokeswoman for Think Inc. said on Thursday.
"I think industrial manslaughter laws are worthwhile. Too many people are being injured in the workforce so we're constantly on the lookout for new things we can do to improve the situation," Mr McGowan said on Friday.
Families told the inquiry of their grief after loved ones were killed while working. Credit:Ryan Stuart
A federal parliamentary inquiry into industrial deaths on Thursday heard from the CFMEU, which has long pushed to make industrial manslaughter a specific criminal offence, and grieving families who said current penalties were not enough.
The union submitted to the inquiry that the offence should encompass circumstances where any person is killed in a work-related incident.
This would protect members of the public, such as the three pedestrians who were killed when a wall on the edge of a Grocon site collapsed in Melbourne in 2014, the union said.
It would also ensure justice in industries such as construction where multiple contractors and sub-contractors work on a site.
The inquiry heard from grieving families including Mark and Janice Murrie, whose 22-year-old son Luke was killed at his Perth workplace in 2007 when strapping on packs of tower crane parts he was lifting broke and he was struck to the temple.
"As you can image, our world spiralled unbelievably and was broken and to this day is still broken," the Murries said in their submission.
Lyons tracked down satellite imagery from the spot when the video was taken, and confirmed to the day that these mounds of earth had appeared at the same time. It was a mass grave, and compelling evidence of an atrocity. Human Rights Watch brought Josh Lyons on as an experiment to see if he could help. Lyons is used to this kind of call. Sometimes he anticipates it. When he heard news of an attack on Rohingya villages in Rakhine state in Myanmar last year, his first thought was this is going to be a catastrophe, he says. His second thought was: I wonder what the weather is like there.
Lyons is the only investigator at HRW who doesnt travel into the field of operations. He sits at a desk in Geneva, working with digital photography analysis tools and a huge resource of satellite photographs. This was a tough job. Myanmar was in the tail end of the monsoon season, covered in deep cloud and rain. He tapped all the satellites he could find, receiving endless, beautiful images of fluffy cloudscapes, hoping for a break. Soon it came. Here and there were saturated pixels bright spots telltale signs of burning villages. As the monsoon cleared he built a database that grew and grew, cross-referencing it with a database of Rohingya village locations. It showed this was a widespread and sustained campaign of arson against Rohingya homes and villages, along a 100-kilometre arc, for two weeks. A satellite-based assessment by Human Rights Watch of the arson damage of villages in Myanmar. Credit:HRW HRWs researchers on the ground interviewed refugees fleeing into Bangladesh to give a human face to these burning pixels.
Akshaya Kumar, deputy United Nations director for HRW, says the Myanmar military will deny such attacks. Before satellite imagery they would say Burning, what burning, we dont see any burning. The Rohingya exaggerate, thats what they do, she says. There was a culture of dehumanisation and denial. And international bodies including the United Nations were reluctant to challenge the military they wanted to move on. It was about changing that narrative, Kumar says. Being able to confront the denialism was really important." Rohingya refugees queue for a meal provided by an aid agency in Bangladesh. Credit:Kate Geraghty Lyons has been with HRW since April 2012 and he is about to expand from a one-man operation into a team of geospatial researchers.
He was previously at the United Nations doing similar work but he hit a red line, he says. At the UN he felt political pressure to pull back in some cases: specifically, he felt he didnt have the backing to use his techniques to expose indiscriminate bombardment by the Syrian regime, or to share the material with human rights bodies outside the UN. We had a lot of material on particular bombardments and there was a decision not to release it, he says. That was professionally, morally and personally unacceptable to me. So he moved to HRW, who brought him on as an experiment to see if he could help. He could. In recent years there has been a revolution in Earth observation, Lyons says. Hundreds of new satellites produce commercially available images of almost anywhere in the world in astonishing detail.
The challenge used to be getting an image, now the challenge is trying to make sense of a firehose of data that is streaming down to Earth on an hourly basis, Lyons says. Some satellites collect images of the whole world every day. Others the higher resolution cameras can be asked to take photos at a particular time and place. There are limitations often Lyons hears allegations of atrocities months later but cant find images to "rewind" in enough detail to really prove the HRW case. But he may still be able to identify smoke plumes or large-scale destruction from months before. The most common use of Lyons skills is evaluating the scale of village destruction, through bombardment or arson. He takes a series of images over days, weeks and months to show which villages were affected and when. Satellite imagery shows the destruction of villages in Rakhine state in 2017. Credit:Human Rights Watch
This helps quantify tragedy at a scale impossible on the ground. It corroborates eyewitness testimony and disproves counter-claims from the perpetrators, who usually claim testimony was fabricated or the destruction came out of conflict between armed groups rather than an attack on innocents. On the horizon is a new leap forward, Lyons says: artificial intelligence could "data mine" tens of thousands of satellite images at a time to detect war crimes that would have required dozens of analysts and weeks of work. It would be like having an automated human rights violation detector in space. Loading Lyons also does a lot of analysis of social media video and photos, to prove where and when they were taken, through metadata or by picking up on visual clues and cross-referencing with satellite imagery.
When it works perfectly we have video that we have geo-located with satellite imagery, we have satellite imagery that captures the before and after of a particular event, and then weve got testimony related to the sequence of events, he says. When this happens its magical because it becomes a compelling body of evidence that is more or less fireproof. It can be draining work. Hes watched a lot of IS execution videos. It is at times extremely distressing, he says. He tries not to work on material that involves children, but sometimes its unavoidable, and he feels obliged to the victims to do that work. You have to have very well-identified research objectives, he says. Before he watches the video he lists what he wants to work out: the time of day, the location, the number of perpetrators, any signs of digital manipulation. Having that well-structured list of questions helps keep your mind focused. And knowing that by answering those questions as best I can, we will publish something on it and put pressure on the perpetrators and give some semblance of acknowledgement to the victims. Wille has used Lyons imagery to prove the scale of Kurdish destruction of homes and villages proving it was a systematic campaign by the Kurdish regional government, leaving officials without a plausible comeback.
GREENWICH Longtime physical education teacher Jeremy Boland will lead a department the district reinstated for the 2018-19 school year that manages Physical Education, Wellness, and Family and Consumer Science programs for all grade levels.
Boland, who starts next week, has worked at the International School at Dundee since 2006. Chief Academic Officer Irene Parisi, whose previous job in the district included taking responsibility for these programs, said Bolands knowledge of the district and its departments makes him a tremendous asset.
Given his experience with the Greenwich Public Schools and expertise in physical education and wellness, Jeremy Boland will provide strong leadership and opportunities for growth and innovation for this program, Parisi said in a statement. An advocate for physical education and wellness, he is excited for the opportunity to support teachers, building administrators and students.
The district created room for the position, which last existed about five years ago, after it eliminated the World Languages program coordinator position and combined that roles duties with those of the English Language Learning program coordinator.
Boland will be responsible for developing curriculum, instructional practices and professional learning for the three programs.
He began his career at a Massachusetts middle school in 2000 and then served as the physical education fellow at Springfield College two years later.
In 2006, Boland joined Greenwich Public Schools as a physical education teacher at the International School at Dundee, where he created and currently directs the ISD 5k and Obstacle Course, in addition to serving as the schools third-grade ballet director and fifth-grade exhibition mentor.
He is a member of the districts Curriculum Council and participates in the annual Curriculum Institute.
Boland graduated from Westfield State College in Massachusetts with a bachelors degree in movement and physical education and from Springfield College in Massachusetts with a masters degree in applied exercise science. He completed the Educational Leadership Program at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield last year.
jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com
WESTPORT Following in a long line of organizations formed to protest applications for large housing complexes in town, a group has coalesced to oppose the Lincoln Street development.
Westport is a beautiful town and thats the way we want it to stay, a town. We have cities surrounding us and theyre cities and thats great, but we came here because its a town rich in history. We have all kinds of culture, we just want to keep it a town, Tina Torraco, a 20 year resident of Riverside Avenue, said.
Torraco and a group of her fellow neighbors have formed the organization Westport Neighbors United LLC to convince the Planning and Zoning Commission not to approve an application for an 81 unit affordable housing residential development that would span six parcels of land on Post Road West and Lincoln Street.
The neighbors first heard about the proposal, brought by Cross Street LLC, in a letter from the development companys attorney in March, Torraco, who lives on the corner of Riverside Avenue and Lincoln Street, said.
Alarmed about the potential impact of a 137,000 square-foot building in their neighborhood, Torraco and her fellow concerned neighbors met in the Riverside Avenue home of Richard Bailey, who became the groups chairman. Over the ensuing months the groups meetings became larger, about 40 to 50 people, Torraco said, and established a steering of about eight residents.
We are not opposed to affordable housing. We understand that people want to come and live here, and thats fine. Its just about trying to put 81 units in that spot, Joan Miller, a Riverside Avenue resident and member of the Westport Neighbors United steering committee said of Cross Streets application for the 3.15-acre piece of land that would include 27 one bedroom and 54 two bedroom apartment units.
I liken it to putting 20 pounds of sugar in a 5-pound bag. You could try to stuff it any way you want, but its still going to overflow and the overflow effects everything around it, Torraco added.
The density of an 81 unit development on three acres is at the heart of the groups concern about Cross Streets proposal. They say the development and the new residents it will bring to the neighborhood will cause increased traffic issues in an already busy section of town and that the added cars will pose safety hazards for pedestrians in the neighborhood.
Most prominently among Torraco and Millers concerns, however, is the buildings fire safety, they said. What theyre proposing is a Stamford style sized building in a town thats used to fighting fires in two-story capes and colonials, Miller said, adding towns fire department doesnt have the manpower or capacity to fight fires at the proposed four-story wood framed building.
More Information The Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on Cross Street LLC's 81 unit multi-family residential development will occur Sept. 6 in Westport Town Hall at 7pm. See More Collapse
Indeed, towns Fire Marshall Nate Gibbons said himself at the June 21 Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on Cross Streets proposal that the development as designed is unsafe for residents due to the inadequate access roads to the site if a fire was to occur at the development. Cross Street reneged the application discussed at the June 21 meeting and submitted the proposal on July 16 with minor modifications.
Its like a monster towering over us and its unsafe, Torraco said of the proposed development.
Fortunately for Westport Neighbors United, fire safety and traffic concerns are the only potential reasons why the commission could deny Cross Streets proposal because the developer plans for 25 (30 percent) of the buildings units to be affordable, which means the project qualifies under the 8-30g statute of the Connecticut General Statutes.
Because Westport does not have enough affordable housing in the eyes of the state, any 8-30g application brought before the towns Planning and Zoning Commission can skirt town building regulations and only be denied on traffic or safety grounds.
Its safe to say that the 830g is more favorable for the developer because they dont have to follow the rules that they normally would so it puts us and this whole neighborhood at risk, Torraco said.
In order to build the development, the developer would demolish many of the current homes on the parcels, including homes dating back to the 1800s, which would endanger the historic character of the neighborhood, Torraco said.
I feel like if none of us stuck up for the history, the character, the safety of this area, it would be trampled over. Were kind of taking on that position of the watchdogs of this part of the river, Torraco said.
The proposals attorney, Fairfield based John F. Fallon, denied to comment on the application that will come before the Planning and Zoning Commission for another hearing on the night of Sept. 6.
svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1
The shot-in-Manitoba horror thriller Trench 11 is set in the final days of the First World War; an international squadron of Allied soldiers is sent to investigate an abandoned underground facility in the Ardennes Forest, where the Germans have been conducting sinister secret experiments.
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This article was published 30/8/2018 (1160 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The shot-in-Manitoba horror thriller Trench 11 is set in the final days of the First World War; an international squadron of Allied soldiers is sent to investigate an abandoned underground facility in the Ardennes Forest, where the Germans have been conducting sinister secret experiments.
You might think movies about people fighting their way out of top-secret, locked-tight experimental facilities were a relatively new horror subgenre, going back perhaps to the first Resident Evil in 2002.
Movie Review Click to Expand Trench 11
Starring Rossif Sutherland and Robert Stadlober
McGillivray
18A
92 minutes
1/2 stars out of five
But they go back even further to 1985, the year of an obscure but influential Hal Barwood movie titled Warning Sign and the less obscure George Romero Living Dead entry Day of the Dead.
Trench 11, directed by Leo Scherman, offers an interesting fresh take on the premise by putting it in a comparatively primitive context. In the early part of the 20th century, there really were terrible new technologies being invented in the growth industry of mass murder, including the machine gun and mustard gas. Scherman, who co-scripted the film with history expert Matt Booi, posits that an unhinged German scientist named Reiner (Austrian actor Robert Stadlober) has developed a biological weapon that could destroy the worlds population.
Under the inevitably priggish command of English officer Capt. Jennings (Ted Atherton), a small force of Americans and a traumatized Canadian tunneler named Berton (Rossif Sutherland) head out to a massive underground bunker to figure out why the facility was built and then mysteriously abandoned.
Unfortunately, a contingent of German soldiers is simultaneously dispatched, ostensibly to finish the job of destroying it.
But both parties are equally endangered by the remaining occupants, afflicted by a creepy parasite that inflicts non-stop murderous rage.
Photos by Raven Banner Films In his role as Allied soldier Berton, Rossif Sutherland possesses a certain weary charisma that positions him as an unorthodox, but interesting protagonist in Trench 11.
The film punches the horror-movie buttons with some efficiency, including a few memorably gruesome killings. Since the bulk of the film is set inside the multi-levelled bunker, Scherman progressively imbues the proceedings with claustrophobic dread.
Yet the film is much smarter than the average slasher. The rage-inducing parasite is a rather elegant metaphor for the madness that afflicts the participants of war. (It ultimately falls on two men on opposite sides of the conflict to try to join forces in defeating it.)
Sutherland, possessed of a certain hangdog charisma, makes for an unconventional hero, but an interesting one.
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He gets strong support from a cast of actors both national, international and local (the latter contingent including Adam Hurtig, Jeff Strome and John B. Lowe).
Pity the four guys who created the music for the film didnt get the memo that the movie is set in 1918. In a movie that takes apparent pains to saturate itself in century-old production elements, an all-electronic music soundtrack rings especially dissonant on the ears.
randall.king@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @FreepKing
Canadian actor Shaun Benson portrays the German Muller.
The RCMP emergency response unit arrests an alleged suspect in Neepawa on Thursday, following the shooting of a RCMP officer in Onanole.
Some Manitoba farmers experienced drought and some didnt, and they might live just 15 kilometres apart.
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This article was published 30/8/2018 (1160 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Some Manitoba farmers experienced drought and some didnt, and they might live just 15 kilometres apart.
Its been that kind of year for cereal growers in whats being called a "moderate drought" in Manitoba.
"If youre fixing a machine in the field, dont drop your wrench. It will go down a crack and you wont see it again," said Ed Rempel of Starbuck, who has begun to phase out of farming but still grows soybeans.
"Were too dry. Its the biggest drought since 1988."
That is, if you were one of the unlucky ones. The spotty rain around the province rewarded others.
Kent Oatway, who farms just west of the Richardson International Airport, is seeing average to above-average crops.
"Were pleasantly surprised. We thought it might be worse," Oatway said.
"I think the guys around here got reasonable crops, although there are a few who didnt."
Manitoba has been dry since late last summer and fields were parched heading into spring. But enough rain eventually fell, and at the right time for many farmers.
"I think we are in a drought cycle, but we got enough timely rain and just made it through," Oatway said.
One of the hardest-hit crops is hay for livestock, especially in the Interlake. Livestock farmers are not only scrambling to obtain feed but also water. Livestock typically rely on dugouts and surface for water to drink and it hasnt been there this year.
"Some guys have been hauling water for a month and a half," said Tom Teichroeb, president of the Manitoba Beef Producers, who farms near Langruth. Producers have begun selling off parts of their herd rather than pay exorbitant prices to import hay.
Provincial crop analyst Anastasia Kubinec is calling it a "moderate drought" based on the length of reduced precipitation and the amount of precipitation.
"There is variation, though, throughout the province from above-normal precipitation to drought," she said.
Above-normal precipitation fell in the northwest along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border. Everywhere else, the moisture has been highly variable.
However, grain varieties are proving better at withstanding dry periods and farmers are smarter about making the most with the moisture they have, Kubinec said.
"Spring cereals wheat, barley, oats have done exceptionally well this year with the rain theyve received," she said.
"Especially spring wheat. Its going to be on par for an excellent crop, like way above average, with high protein, no disease, excellent quality."
The average yield for spring wheat is 45 to 50 bushels per acre in Manitoba. In the southwest, producers are recording 50 to 65 bushels, 40 to 90 bushels in the central region and eastern Manitoba 50 to 80.
The heat and dryness actually helped in combating insects and diseases, particularly Fusarium head blight, from impacting crop growth.
"When its hot and dry, its just not a favourable environment for that disease to develop," Kubinec said.
Canola yields are also quite variable. Manitoba farmers seeded 3.2 million acres, just short of their 3.5-million-acre record.
Crops that didnt do well include winter wheat. About half the acres seeded last fall were ploughed under and reseeded in the spring. Peas, which are very dependent on rain, ranged from poor to average to above average, depending on rainfall.
Kubinec said farmers started soil moisture conservation as early as last fall by disturbing the soil as little as possible to reduce evaporation losses. They also planted varieties that require less moisture, such as shorter wheats that dont need as much energy to grow stalk.
"And we were getting rainfall the end of June and start of July, the peak time where crops are at their highest water demand," Kubinec said.
"It was timely."
As well, wheat can root six to eight feet deep and reach lower moisture, as do sunflowers. Some crops, such as peas, dont root very deep.
"There was some humidity, too. You get that dew point at night, it helps plants recuperate overnight."
Soybeans also dont root as deep as wheat, and the crop appears to be in some trouble in Manitoba.
"I bet soybean yields will be cut in half this year," soybean grower Rempel said.
"Soybeans needed an early August rain to fill and they didnt get it."
Rempel expects just 25 bushels per acre, about half his normal yield.
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Alyssa Mistelbacher, crop analyst with FarmLink Marketing, puts corn in the same boat as soybeans.
"They both suffered," Mistelbacher said. "They didnt get the finishing rains they needed and it was too hot and too dry."
The worst drought on the Prairies has been in southwestern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, Mistelbacher said.
FarmLink estimates for Canada include 23.5 million tonnes of wheat, below the five-year average of 25.3 million, but seeding was down; 20.5 million tonnes of canola (five-year average 25.3 million); and barley 7.9 million tonnes (8.47 million).
The heat and early spring resulted in harvest starting about two weeks earlier late July or early August than normal. Most wheat is already harvested and about 75 per cent of canola has also been cut.
bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
SEATTLE Amazon is defending its treatment of the hundreds of thousands of workers at its warehouses, calling statements by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders inaccurate and misleading.
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This article was published 31/8/2018 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
SEATTLE Amazon is defending its treatment of the hundreds of thousands of workers at its warehouses, calling statements by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders "inaccurate and misleading."
Amazon, in a rare public response to outside criticism, posted a blog on Wednesday broadly sticking up for the pay and benefits packages and working conditions in its warehouse network.
Pay, the company said, averages US$15 an hour when bonuses and grants of Amazon stock are included, and the company offers health care and other benefits to full-time hourly warehouse workers.
Amazons blog said the company had been in regular contact with Sanders office, and had invited him and his staff to tour a fulfilment centre, as Amazon calls its warehouses.
Sanders office issued its own lengthy statement on Wednesday, doubling down on its critique of the company and saying Amazon had not been able to accommodate the senators request for a tour during a trip to Wisconsin last month.
Sanders had recently posted a request online for Amazon workers to share their experiences at the company and asked them to highlight in particular whether they had to use public assistance while on Amazons payroll. The senator plans to introduce a bill soon that would tax large employers such as Amazon a sum equal to the value of the federal assistance such as food stamps, public housing and Medicaid that their employees receive, in a bid to encourage companies to raise the standard of living of their workers.
New Food Economy, a non-profit news website, reported earlier this year that thousands of Amazon employees in several states relied on the governments Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps. Amazon is the second-largest private-sector employer in the U.S., after Walmart, and employed about 575,000 people worldwide at the end of June.
Amazons statement said the tally of its employees receiving food assistance was misleading, as it includes part-time and temporary workers.
Dave Clark, who oversees Amazons logistics work as senior vice-president of worldwide operations, sent leaders in that group an email Wednesday encouraging them to ask employees to share their own experiences with the senator. He posted a similar message on Twitter.
The company recently began paying employees to do just that, enlisting more than a dozen warehouse workers in a new program to proactively respond to questions about and criticism of the companys warehouses on Twitter and other social media sites. Those employees, which Amazon calls ambassadors, are free to comment from their personal experience, Amazon says. Their views of the company have been uniformly positive, with many citing some of the same talking points about pay and benefits that Amazon made in its blog on Wednesday.
Amazon has been criticized for years for working conditions at its warehouse and distribution network, which includes more than 100 facilities in dozens of states. Media reports have found rigorous and physically demanding work-rate quotas in facilities that werent always climate-controlled, and, in some instances, little time for bathroom breaks.
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The company, which in recent years has had to hire tens of thousands of warehouse workers in a booming economy, has ramped up its effort to portray the facilities in a good light, offering public tours and highlighting the perks it offers employees there, including a program that offers to pay almost all of the cost of training for better-paying, in-demand jobs in other sectors.
Sanders critiques have also suggested that Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos, who became the worlds richest man because of the strong market performance of his roughly 16 per cent ownership stake in Amazon shares, could afford to pay his employees more.
One of Sanders tweets noted that, at the rate Bezoss wealth has climbed this year with Amazons strong stock performance, he has made more than Amazons roughly US$28,000 median annual wage every 10 seconds. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index pegs Bezoss wealth at US$159 billion.
"All over this country, many Amazon employees, who work for the wealthiest person on Earth, are paid wages so low they cant make ends meet," Sanders statement on Wednesday said.
Amazons response to Sanders stands in contrast to the companys typical practice of silence after U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter at various points this year to slam Bezos and the company.
Seattle Times
The Oracle of Omaha is adding to his already large stake in Apple Inc.
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This article was published 31/8/2018 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Oracle of Omaha is adding to his already large stake in Apple Inc.
Warren Buffett likes the technology giant because of its devoted customers, and has built up his stake in the company by "just a little" since his last regulatory filing, he said Thursday in an interview with CNBC. The Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer said his firm has also bought back some of its own stock recently.
"Theyve got to keep having the product that this huge clientele regards as indispensable," Buffett said of Apple. For customers, "the iPhone is enormously underpriced" compared with the utility it offers, he said.
Berkshire has been piling more money into Apple, increasing that stake to 252 million shares as of June 30. The investment is worth more than US $50 billion and makes Berkshire the third-biggest shareholder in Cupertino, California-based Apple, with a more-than 5 per cent stake, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Buffett has expanded his company into a conglomerate with a $520 billion market cap and footholds in the railroad business, insurance industry and energy sector. With the help of deputies Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, the billionaire investor also oversees a $180 billion stock portfolio that includes stakes in Wells Fargo.
Earlier this year, Buffett teamed up with JPMorgan Chases Jamie Dimon and Amazon.coms Jeff Bezos to create a venture thats aiming to change how health care is provided to the three companies employees. In June, the group named Atul Gawande to lead the initiative, which will be based in Boston. While exact details on the venture are scant, Buffett has previously said that the goal is to go beyond just squeezing middlemen and actually lower costs and deliver better care.
Gawande is in the process of adding staff now.
"Hes hiring people," Buffett said in a subsequent interview with Bloomberg Television Thursday. "Not very many people, but he will be hiring people."
The initiative wont succeed if its just a cost-cutting measure, Buffett said. "Wed like to be in a hurry but were not going to try and do something faster than it can be done," he said.
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Buffett was in New York on his 88th birthday Thursday to dine with the winner of his annual lunch auction, which benefits San Francisco-based charity Glide. The winner paid $3.3 million for the opportunity to bring guests to eat with Buffett at Smith & Wollensky steakhouse.
He also discussed a variety of other topics:
Tariffs:In the CNBC interview, Buffett said of escalating tensions surrounding tariffs, "we are seeing some effects from that" "Weve seen more in the way of cost increases in the last year if you go across all of our businesses, but particularly building materials"
Markets: Stock markets continue to hit records, but Buffett said he prefers equities over fixed income and reiterated his long-term view. "You cant sit around and wait for it youre never going to catch the bottom," Buffett said in the Bloomberg interview.
Buybacks: Berkshire Hathaway has repurchased "a little" of its stock in recent months, Buffett told CNBC. Berkshires board opened up another pathway for capital deployment in July, when it gave Buffett and Vice Chairman Charles Munger more leeway to repurchase shares.
Bloomberg News
It was January 9, 2018, the start of a new year. As Blaine Graham pulled up to the U.S. border crossing at Sumas, Wash., he was ready to start a new phase in his life.
This article was published 30/8/2018 (1160 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It was January 9, 2018, the start of a new year. As Blaine Graham pulled up to the U.S. border crossing at Sumas, Wash., he was ready to start a new phase in his life.
Graham was moving from Chilliwack, B.C. to Dallas, where he was about to start a new job as a regional sales manager for a technology company. He'd already spent months obtaining the visa that would allow him to work legally in the United States. Graham had sold his home in Chilliwack, rented an apartment in Dallas and moved almost all his worldly possessions down to Texas ahead of him.
At last, the 24 year old was ready to move his family across the border.
Graham pulled up to the checkpoint and gave a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer his Canadian passport, the one with the precious work visa attached. That passport was about to expire, but Graham was prepared: he also had a brand-new Canadian passport, just in case. He handed that over, too.
The two passports were enough to give the officer pause, and he sent Graham to secondary inspection. There, another officer started asking about Graham's work visa and his job.
Then the conversation took a turn that would change Graham's life. From his current home in Saskatoon, Graham remembers the exchange.
DAVID STOBBE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Blaine Graham is a Canadian that was denied access to the U.S. because he admitted to U.S. border officials that he had used medical marijuana in the past.
"'Are you taking any prescription medication?' 'No.' 'Do you do any drugs?' 'No.'"
"'Have you ever used marijuana before?' And then, I accidentally just said, 'Yes, medically.'"
Graham was honest with the U.S. border officer. He has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and had been using cannabis a few times a week to ease the painful symptoms of the autoimmune disease. He did so on his doctor's recommendation, but he'd never bothered signing up for Canada's official medical cannabis program in Chilliwack, it was easy enough to access cannabis by taking a doctor's note to a local medical marijuana dispensary.
But the border officer only had more questions. He asked Graham whether he had ever used cocaine or ecstasy.
"I started getting a little stressed out, because I realized the nature of the conversation. At first I thought, I'll just go to the border and be honest, and you're not going to have an issue, right? I didn't think I was committing any crimes."
About two hours after arriving at the U.S. border, Graham was searched and put in handcuffs as his wife waited with their 15-month-old baby.
Eventually, the officers sat Graham down to take a sworn statement. Now he was under oath.
The official transcript of the interrogation shows a volley of tough questions: Where did he buy marijuana? When he applied for his work visa, did he disclose that he was a regular narcotic user? Had he ever purchased marijuana in the United States? Had he ever grown it? Sold it? Did he understand that under U.S. and Canadian law, marijuana was a controlled substance? Did he understand that it was illegal to possess marijuana under both laws?
Finally, the officers released him back into Canada. He told them he'd return with a doctor's note, to prove that he had a legitimate medical reason to use cannabis.
"It basically ruined a whole year of my career and cost me all my savings" Blaine Graham on telling U.S. border officers that he had used medical marijuana in Canada
Ten days later, he was back at the Sumas border crossing just south of Abbotsford, B.C. this time without his family, but carrying a letter from his doctor and an official medical authorization to use cannabis for his arthritis. This time, the officers searched his phone before taking another sworn statement, and asked him yet more questions about his marijuana use.
"As soon as I admitted that I used marijuana at the age of 18, without a medical licence, then he said, 'OK, perfect, we're done, that's all I needed.'"
The officers told Graham that he was inadmissible to the United States. Now, he'd need to apply for a special waiver to enter the country.
He's still waiting for the document almost nine months later. He's hired a lawyer, he's stopped using cannabis for his arthritis and he even submitted to an examination and drug screening from a U.S. government-approved physician.
"It basically ruined a whole year of my career and cost me all my savings," says Graham, who adds he had "no idea whatsoever" that this could happen to him.
"And then as soon as it happened, I start Googling and I see hundreds of cases, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I just screwed myself for life.' And I didn't even realize it."
Blaine Graham is far from the only Canadian who's ever been banned from entering the United States for admitting to cannabis use, but the exact number remains a mystery.
Officials with Public Safety Canada said they couldn't provide a figure, referring inquiries to the U.S. government. A spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency doesn't break down its inadmissibility statistics by cause, but provided data showing 14,166 Canadian citizens were found inadmissible at northern U.S. land border crossings in the agency's 2017 fiscal year.
BEN NELMS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Immigration lawyer Len Saunders at his office in Blaine, Washington, U.S.A. represents Graham in his legal battles with the U.S. government.
Graham's lawyer is Len Saunders, who practises immigration law just minutes south of one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the U.S., the Peace Arch in Blaine, Wash.
Not long ago, Saunders seldom dealt with cases of Canadians who were deemed inadmissible to the United States for cannabis-related reasons.
"I like to say, when I first started practising here 15 years ago I would see, like, one or two cases a year, honestly," he says. "They were rare."
But after Washington legalized non-medical marijuana in 2012, Saunders "started seeing one or two cases a month." Now he gets them on a weekly basis, which he attributes to U.S. border guards in Washington questioning more and more Canadian travellers.
BEN NELMS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Evergreen Cannabis dispensary in Blaine, Washington.
"Because the officers, on their way to work every day like me, drive by marijuana shops," he says. "And guess whose cars are in the parking lots? Canadians."
Saunders, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen who was born and raised near Vancouver, has made himself the go-to expert for Canadian media on the topic of cannabis and the border. He estimates he's done about 100 media interviews this year alone.
"I'm somewhat passionate when I see Canadians being screwed by U.S. immigration," he explains.
When asked about the Canadian government's position on the issue, that passion shines through.
In June, CTV Power Play host Don Martin quizzed Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale about the catch-22 that is cannabis at the border.
"The trouble is, if you tell the truth if you've used marijuana in the past they turn you back, and if you lie it's against the law," Martin asked. "How on earth is a Canadian supposed to deal with this?"
"Lying to a border official on either side of the border, whether you're an American or a Canadian, is a very serious offence," Goodale replied. "So everyone approaching the border on either side should tell the truth."
What can you do if you're asked about marijuana at the U.S. border? Canadians have the right not to answer questions asked by U.S. border officers when entering the United States, advises immigration attorney Len Saunders, although they'll likely be denied entry to the country if they don't co-operate. "Sometimes Canadians are told at the port of entry that if they don't answer the questions they're asked, that they'll give them a lie detector test. They can't do that," he says. click to read more Canadians have the right not to answer questions asked by U.S. border officers when entering the United States, advises immigration attorney Len Saunders, although they'll likely be denied entry to the country if they don't co-operate. "Sometimes Canadians are told at the port of entry that if they don't answer the questions they're asked, that they'll give them a lie detector test. They can't do that," he says. "They're told that they will do a drug-screening test on them. They can't do drug-screening tests at the border. They're told that if they don't answer the question truthfully, they'll be charged or put in jail. You can't put someone in jail or charge them for not being co-operative. "The worst thing that can happen, if you fail to co-operate and answer a question at a U.S. port of entry, is a simple denied entry. Then you can go back later, whether it's the next day or a week later or a month later, and seek entry, and hopefully you'll get a different officer. You'll probably be sent inside." A Canadian who's asked about past marijuana use at the U.S. border has three options, according to Saunders. "If you've used marijuana, if you admit it, you'll be denied entry for life. If you lie, and they find out that you've lied, that's as bad as admitting. You've basically been denied entry for life. Lying is a lifetime bar." "So your best option, if you feel uncomfortable answering that question, is to basically say nothing. Because they can't force you to admit to something if you don't want to." U.S. border officials can view Canadian criminal records, so Saunders says Canadians should tell the truth if they've ever been convicted or charged for marijuana possession or other drug-related crimes. Travellers deemed inadmissible by U.S. Customs and Border Protection will need a waiver in order to enter the United States. It costs US$585 to file a waiver application form (called a Form I-192) with the U.S. government, and Saunders says processing times take four to six months, on average. Entrance waivers are typically valid for anywhere from six months to five years before they must be renewed. Technically speaking, an immigration lawyer isn't required to apply for the waiver, but Saunders recommends one to expedite the process. Close
That's "horrible advice," insists Saunders. Canadians definitely shouldn't lie to U.S. border officials, he says, but they don't have to tell the truth, either. Instead, they can exercise their legal right not to answer any questions, and formally withdraw their request to enter the United States (see sidebar).
But admitting to having ever used marijuana, or being caught lying about it, can result in a lifetime ban from entering the U.S. Those bans can be overcome by applying for a temporary entrance waiver, which costs US$585 plus legal fees. The waivers are usually valid for between six months and five years, after which they must be renewed.
Saunders says being banned from the United States is "life-changing for people."
"It costs a lot of money, takes a lot of time, and most people until it happens, they don't think that it's something that is a possibility."
Any non-citizen who wants to enter the United States is subject to that country's Immigration and Nationality Act, which sets out a host of drug-related reasons that could result in denied entry and a ban on future visits.
In fact, a foreigner doesn't even have to be convicted of a drug-related crime in order to be banned. Voluntarily admitting to the "essential elements" of breaking a foreign country's controlled-substance law for example, by having ever used marijuana in Canada is enough to be denied entry, says Scott Railton, a U.S. immigration attorney who practises in Bellingham, Wash.
BEN NELMS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS U.S. Port of Entry at the Peace Arch Border Crossing.
A Canadian who travels south to work in the American cannabis industry, or who invests in U.S.-based cannabis companies, could also be deemed inadmissible by the U.S. government, even if the business or investment in question is legal in states such as Colorado, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Maine or Massachusetts. Border crossings are under federal jurisdiction, and marijuana remains strictly illegal under the U.S. federal government's Controlled Substances Act.
Technically speaking, says Railton, involvement in Canada's legal cannabis industry alone shouldn't be grounds for inadmissibility to the United States.
"I can think of a couple cases where I've seen the U.S. border authorities actually ask direct questions about a person's involvement in the legal industry in Canada, and once it's deemed that that person's not involved in the U.S. side, and they're acting within the law on the Canadian side, their admissibility to the United States has not been impacted."
But even telling a federal border agent that you plan to use cannabis in the U.S. even in a state where it's legal could lead to a ban.
BEN NELMS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Immigration lawyer Scott Railton at his office in Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A.
"Basically, if somebody rolls up to the U.S. border and says that they want to come into the United States to purchase marijuana or use marijuana or go on a marijuana tour, perhaps, that would be an illegal purpose for entry," Railton says.
"And so, while they haven't violated the law, their intention on arrival is to pursue an illegal activity."
U.S. border agents also have the power to bar foreigners on health-related grounds by deeming them a suspected "drug abuser" or "drug addict." After that, getting a waiver to re-enter the U.S. requires passing an examination from a U.S. government-approved panel physician, which might include some tough questions about the subject's drug use.
Finally, if a U.S. customs official catches a foreigner lying about their cannabis use or anything else, for that matter an entrance ban is in the cards.
One kind of Canadian doesn't need to fear questions about marijuana at the border, though: Canadian citizens who hold dual citizenship with the United States.
"Anybody who's a citizen of the United States is always entitled to entry, even if they're guilty of the most heinous of crimes," says Railton.
It's hard to quantify exactly how often U.S. border guards question Canadians about cannabis, but Railton says various clues might inspire them to ask.
What about medical marijuana at the U.S. border? Canadians who are legally registered with Health Canada to use cannabis for medical purposes can't legally bring their medication across the Canada-U.S. border, even if they're headed to one of the growing number of U.S. states that have legalized medical marijuana. "They don't bar people who are using it under a federal medical approved licence," explains immigration lawyer Len Saunders. click to read more Canadians who are legally registered with Health Canada to use cannabis for medical purposes can't legally bring their medication across the Canada-U.S. border, even if they're headed to one of the growing number of U.S. states that have legalized medical marijuana. "They don't bar people who are using it under a federal medical approved licence," explains immigration lawyer Len Saunders. But, he adds, if U.S. border officers find out that a Canadian is a medical cannabis user, they'll ask whether they ever used cannabis before receiving medical authorization just like they did to his client Blaine Graham. "And you know what most people say? 'Yes, I did.' So that means they're inadmissible, because they used it before they were granted the licence." Saunders says medical cannabis users could bring official proper documentation to prove they're licensed, "but the thing is, they'll just go around that and find another grounds to deny them." "I've never had somebody say to me, 'I went to the border, I told them I used it legally under a medical marijuana licence, and they said I was good to go.' I've never had that happen, because people either lie, and don't tell them, or if they tell them look what happened to Blaine (Graham)." Saunders has some blunt advice for legal Canadian medical cannabis users who are trying to cross the U.S. border. "Don't admit to anything, whether you do it legally or not.... If they want to deny you entry, they'll find ways of doing it, period." Close
"Sometimes it comes up in the context of, they find marijuana in the car, sometimes it comes up in the context of, they're searching phones or computers for some other reason, and there's something that suggests marijuana," he says.
"Sometimes it's as simple as, the person seeking admission has a sticker on the car which suggests that they use marijuana."
Railton believes U.S. border officials ask Canadians about marijuana at land border crossings more often than in airports, although that happens too.
"There seems to be more cues, I think, when somebody's driving a car into the United States," he says. "There's more to inspect, actually."
Overall, lawyer Len Saunders believes the odds of a Canadian traveller being interrogated about marijuana at the U.S. border are "remote."
"If they're asking every single person, the lines would back up to the North Pole," he says. "But it's enough."
Ralph Goodale is responsible for Canada's borders, and says his office has held ongoing talks with its U.S. counterparts about the issue of cannabis at the border. In August, he told reporters the two countries hadn't reached any kind of formal deal on what will happen after legalization on Oct. 17.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/CHAD HIPOLITO Minister Ralph Goodale: "We expect Canadians to be treated honourably and fairly in crossing the border as they always have been."
"The United States will determine their own rules for entering their country, just as we determine our own rules for people entering Canada," Goodale said after speaking to the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Police Governance in Winnipeg earlier this month.
"Each country has a sovereign right to establish their own rules. We expect Canadians to be treated honourably and fairly in crossing the border as they always have been."
Goodale's press secretary echoed that sentiment in a written statement.
"Canadians who wish to enter the United States or any other country have to adhere to its laws.... Officials from the United States have said that they do not plan on changing their questions at primary inspection after cannabis is legalized in Canada. However, if a traveller gives them reason to be suspicious, their officers may ask further questions."
Public Safety Canada is focusing its cannabis-related messaging on a much more straightforward issue, reminding Canadians not to bring cannabis in either direction across the Canada-U.S. border after legalization.
A new animated video published by the Canada Border Services Agency uses the tagline, "Keep it legal. Don't bring it in. Don't take it out." A CBSA spokeswoman says Transport Canada "is working with stakeholders to post signage advising travellers that it is illegal to cross international borders with cannabis."
"Signs will be installed at airports, ferry and cruise terminals, and railway stations at exit points from Canada. With respect to land border crossings, Transport Canada is working with provinces and territories to install road signs near the border."
Liberal Sen. Mobina Jaffer doesn't think that's enough. She represents British Columbia, and her constituents have told her they're increasingly being asked about cannabis when they try to enter the U.S.
"My concern is that people are going about their business, not knowing that if they have ever used cannabis they can be stopped forever from going into the U.S.," she says.
"And I'm concerned that that there isn't a massive and I mean massive campaign on our TV" to raise awareness of the issue.
Like Saunders, Jaffer worries when Canadian government officials tell travellers to always be completely honest at the U.S. border.
"I'm not asking anybody to lie," she explains. "But I'm just wanting people to know that telling the truth can cause you consequences. You don't have to respond people don't know that's an option."
"And I'm not talking about people who are transporting even a little bit of cannabis across the border, or who just had some. I'm really speaking about people who have, in their life, smoked it, or smoked it a few months before they even travelled. Those kinds of people, I'm more concerned about."
Almost 45 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older have used cannabis in their lives, according to a 2015 government survey. In theory, all of those Canadians could be found inadmissible into the U.S. under current policies.
But with legalization less than two months away, the border impasse over Canadians' past cannabis use raises an important question: will U.S. border authorities start changing their approach to marijuana after the drug become legal for Canadian adults?
The answer is no, according to a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
"Policies will not change," she wrote in a statement.
"Requirements for international travellers wishing to enter the United States are governed by and conducted in accordance with U.S. federal law, which supersedes state laws. Although medical and recreational marijuana may be legal in some U.S. states and Canada, the sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana or the facilitation of the aforementioned remain illegal under U.S. federal law. Consequently, crossing the border or arriving at a U.S. port of entry in violation of this law may result in denied admission, seizure, fines and apprehension."
MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The border crossing at Pembina, North Dakota. Don't expect U.S. border authorities to change their approach to marijuana after the drug becomes legal for adults in Canada.
As for Canadians who admit to past marijuana use, the spokeswoman was clear.
"Aliens must overcome all grounds of inadmissibility, including admissions of past violations of controlled substance law. Possession and/or admission to the use of marijuana by an alien may result in the refusal of admission."
Immigration attorney Scott Railton believes Canadians who admit to having legally used marijuana after legalization comes into force shouldn't be found inadmissible under U.S. law.
But Canada's federal legalization law comes with some strict legal limits, and Railton points out that Canadians who get caught breaking the new cannabis laws for example, by growing an illegal number of plants might continue to face trouble at the border.
"There's also the possibility, still, that convictions for past violations of marijuana laws... that predate the legalization would create a basis for inadmissibility, as well as even an admission to having violated the law before cannabis was legalized," says Railton.
"I don't think they'll necessarily be digging for that at the border, but on paper it is a basis for inadmissibility."
Saunders doesn't expect a post-legalization increase in the number of Canadians who are barred for admitting to past cannabis use, but he does worry that Canadians might get in trouble at the border if they accidentally leave legally-purchased marijuana in their vehicles.
U.S. customs officers are "not going to seize it and let the Canadian enter," says Saunders.
DAVID STOBBE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Blaine Graham: "It's just been a horrible experience."
"They're going to seize it and bar the Canadian for life, because all you need is reason to believe that they're involved with illegal substances."
Even more unnerving is speculation that U.S. border authorities could search financial databases to see whether a Canadian traveller has ever purchased legal marijuana using a credit card.
"Because, you go down to the BC Cannabis Store, and you purchase, using your credit card, a couple joints," says Kyla Lee, a Vancouver attorney who specializes in impaired driving cases.
"Now, your credit card tracks you as somebody who buys cannabis. And it shows up on your statement as cannabis. And you've made a purchase of what the U.S. considers a serious narcotic."
Saunders thinks that scenario is unlikely, but not impossible.
"However, I have online banking on my phone," he says. "All it takes is for them to go on your phone and check your bank purchases. And if you bought marijuana... it's going to show up."
Saunders doubts the U.S. government will change its severe approach to past cannabis use at the border unless it suffers some kind of major political embarrassment, "like if Trudeau ever gets denied entry." (The prime minister has admitted to using cannabis.)
"You need some more high-profile cases to get the American public to realize what a problem it is," he says.
"Most Americans don't care about this, because it's just individuals not being able to enter the United States. Canadians find it more troubling."
Saunders' perspective doesn't hold much promise for regular Canadians such as Blaine Graham. When he deals with U.S. border officials now, he feels the strain of post-traumatic stress.
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"It's just been a horrible experience," says Graham. "When I go to the border, my heart starts beating, I start sweating. I'm just nervous. What are they going to ask? What are they going to do? Are they going to go through my phone?"
Graham thinks the officials who zealously guard America's borders from cannabis users should re-evaluate their priorities.
"They could be spending more time on people that have a criminal record, and vetting them. Like, why are you trying so hard to vet me? I have a (work) visa, I'm trying to come into your country to create more jobs and work for your local people," he says.
"And it's just... I don't know, it just baffles me."
solomon.israel@theleafnews.com
@sol_israel
OTTAWA The federal government has at last brokered a deal to transfer Churchills port and railway from Denver-based Omnitrax into local hands.
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This article was published 31/8/2018 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA The federal government has at last brokered a deal to transfer Churchills port and railway from Denver-based Omnitrax into local hands.
Effective Friday, the Hudson Bay Railway, Port of Churchill and the towns marine tank farm are owned by Arctic Gateway, a consortium that involved two northern Manitoba groups, Toronto financier Fairfax and Saskatchewan-based grains giant AGT Foods.
An aerial view of the rail line and Via station is shown in Churchill, Manitoba, Wednesday, July 4, 2018. The closure of the port and the rail line has resulted in economic hardship in the community. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
Railway repairs are to start "immediately," the federal government said in a news release. Assuming normal weather patterns, Churchill should have adequate rail service for both passenger trains and light freight before the November freeze-up.
More repairs will be needed in the spring to allow heavier cars that transport grain or propane. (The provincial government is finalizing an October sealift of propane for the town.)
"We will commence the repairs and do all we can to restore service expeditiously and safely. We are racing against time," wrote Fairfax president Paul Rivett in a statement.
A construction company is preparing to "immediately" start repairs along the line, according to the federal government. Its unknown whether a contract has yet been tendered.
Sources described the financial arrangement as a split between local groups OneNorth (co-chaired by Churchill Mayor Mike Spence) and Missinippi Rail (connected to Grand Chief Arlen Dumas of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs), as well as Fairfax and AGT, with support from Ottawa.
The deal means a complete pullout of Omnitrax from northern Manitoba, sources said. The deal includes offices in Thompson and The Pas, vehicles and rail cars. Arctic Gateway will own all its Hudson Bay Railway shares, which could mean its existing liabilities, such as legal responsibility in ongoing litigation.
It is unclear how much federal cash is involved, or whether Omnitrax is walking away with any debts or payouts. Omnitraxs Toronto public relations firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The areas MP, Niki Ashton, said she was "relieved" to hear the news but that taxpayers ought to know how much in federal funds have been allocated, and whether Omnitrax is getting any cash.
"I hope that Omnitrax wasnt paid even one dollar in this deal, after everything theyve put the people of Churchill and northern Manitoba through," Ashton said in a Friday interview.
"Im proud of the people of Churchill and northern Manitoba for standing up to Omnitrax," she said. "Too much time has passed; theres already been damage done to Churchill and to our North."
Ottawa has faced sustained criticism that the town had become a fly-in community for 15 months, causing the cost of food to skyrocket and families to move south.
As the sole Manitoban in the federal cabinet, Trade Minister Jim Carr has been overseeing the governments negotiations. He wrote Friday he was thrilled a deal had been signed.
"I want Canadians living in Northern Manitoba and Nunavut to know that the Government of Canada understands the importance of the line to their daily lives. Thank you for your patience and to the buying group for committing to begin work on the repairs," Carr wrote.
Premier Brian Pallister applauded Carr and the federal government for the deal, as well as residents of Churchill.
"They have endured challenging circumstances for a very long time and we have stood with them," he wrote. "We look forward to working with the federal government and the new ownership group on an ongoing basis as we move forward with our Look North strategy over the months and years ahead."
In spring 2017, heavy snowfall followed by a rapid melt washed out numerous sections of the Hudson Bay Railway, between Amery and Churchill, roughly a 250-kilometre stretch.
That summer, Omnitrax said it would not pay an estimated $43.5 million to repair the railway, because it had become "not economically viable." Until its 2015 dissolution, the Canadian Wheat Board ensured a steady amount of grain reached the Port of Churchill, after which Omnitrax had laid off most port workers.
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Ottawa has led takeover talks since September 2017, which involved numerous near-deals, dozens of bureaucrats and unflattering leaks.
In a statement, Spence wrote he was thankful to his town, Ottawa and the consortium partners.
"This is an emotional and important day. It is a huge relief for our community and it is historic for northern communities. We have a lot more work to do, beginning with the repair of the rail line," he wrote. "We now turn towards building our northern assets into an arctic gateway and prosperity for northern Canada."
Dumas said the project is a tangible example of reconciliation, where First Nations are empowered to lead economic development:
"This is how it is done: not by saying trust us, but by putting up the support necessary to allow us to build the foundations necessary to be successful," he wrote.
dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
A small army of ethnocultural community leaders are mobilizing their members to get out the vote on Oct. 24.
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This article was published 31/8/2018 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
CAROL SANDERS / WINNIPEG FREE PRES Jacqueline DSouza, second from right, strategizes with other community leaders about how to get members to vote in the coming Oct. 24 civic election.
A small army of ethnocultural community leaders are mobilizing their members to get out the vote on Oct. 24.
"I think were going to change how the election works," Got citizenship? Go vote! committee member Noelle DePape told more than 80 people who took part in a civic election training session Wednesday night.
The plan is to make sure immigrants and refugees are educated on the issues and the candidates, and get 10,000 more people to the polls.
"Winnipeg wont know what happened," she told the newcomers from more than two dozen ethnocultural groups gathered at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba building on Isabel Street.
CAROL SANDERS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Thats how were going to have a voice, says Maggie Yeboah, president of Ghanaian Union of Manitoba, right, with community member Stella Kankam at the voter training session Wednesday night at IRCOM on Isabel Street.
In the 2014 civic election, voter turnout was just 49 per cent, said Abdikheir Ahmed, director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, a coalition of non-profit newcomer groups. While there are no stats, Ahmed said an estimated 15 per cent of eligible newcomers adults with citizenship who are Winnipeg residents cast a ballot.
Getting out the immigrant and refugee vote can have a huge impact, he said, especially in the five wards with the most immigrants of voting age. In Old Kildonan, for instance, 54 per cent of those of voting age are immigrants, according to the University of Winnipegs Institute of Urban Studies.
One in four Winnipeggers are immigrants, and 20 per cent are second-generation Canadians, meaning close to half of Winnipeggers are closely linked to the newcomer community. Thats not reflected in the present city council.
Only two of 15 current city council members Devi Sharmi, who came to Canada from India as a toddler, and Mike Pagtakhan are visible minorities, Ahmed said.
To make sure newcomers voices are heard by school boards, city council and the mayors office, they need to know how to speak up and vote at election time.
CAROL SANDERS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jennifer Chen, with her newborn Sophia, attended the session and is running for school trustee.
"Its important newcomers learn about the system," said Maggie Yeboah, president of the Ghanaian Union of Manitoba. "When we get integrated with the community, thats how were going to have a voice."
One of the ways to do that is to invite politicians and candidates to community events something Winnipegs well-established Filipino community of nearly 60,000 has been doing for years.
Perla Javate, a longtime community leader, said there are at least 80 different organizations within the Filipino community that come together at election time to get out the vote.
Winnipegs fledgling Bhutanese community with about 600 members, including people from Nepal is connecting to the political process. It celebrates Bhutans Womens Day on Sept. 8, and has invited politicians from three levels of government and across the political spectrum to attend.
"We encourage members to vote," said Chitra Pradha, who was at the training session with his wife, Manika, one of the Womens Day organizers.
Wednesday nights session offered tips and tools, including a "plan to vote" fill-in-the-blank checklist that will make sure each new voter is ready on election day. The list includes: where is your polling station? What time will you vote? (Did you know by law that your employer must give you time off to vote?) How will you get there? What ID will you bring?
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Among the crowd were some who have taken the next step, and are running for office.
Jennifer Chen, who came from China for her masters degree in kinesiology at the University of Manitoba focusing on the health of communities, is running for school trustee.
She attended the training session with her baby, and is on the committee organizing a mayoral forum on newcomer issues Sept. 22 at Hugh John MacDonald School. Connecting newcomers to the voting process can only strengthen and make communities healthier, she said.
Peter Koroma, who came to Canada from Sierra Leone decades ago, is running for city council in Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry. He said a healthy, growing city needs to address the issue of homelessness, and speed up expanded bus rapid transit to all four points of Winnipeg.
"Whatever it takes, we have to have a plan," Koroma said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/8/2018 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Its a day Mark Hume cant escape.
The Manitoba RCMP officer was under fire in May 2015, while responding to a domestic disturbance in western Manitoba. He was the last police officer to be shot and wounded on the job prior to Wednesday nights attack on an RCMP officer in Onanole.
Hume was hit by shotgun pellets in the arm and leg after a man began shooting in Kemnay, a village 11 kilometres west of Brandon. Hume made a full recovery, while the suspect was arrested following a short standoff and charged with numerous offences, including attempted murder. Clayton Ewert was convicted last year following a trial and sentenced to more than 13 years in prison.
"Its not a day Ill soon forget," Hume said in his victim-impact statement during Ewerts sentencing in May. "It could have easily been my last, in my career and in my life."
In a twist of fate, Hume was one of the arresting officers of a man Thursday in Neepawa, sought in connection to Wednesdays shooting.
In May, Hume told court he and his family were always comforted by the belief violence against police was less likely to happen in a quiet, rural community.
"Countless people asked me if I was angry with the man who tried to kill me. The answer was and still is no," he said. "I had a sense of relief that this was an act of violence directed not at me personally, but was directed at a police officer, the uniform I wear and what I represent.
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"As time went on though, this original sense of relief changed into a feeling of frustration and disappointment. I now view this as not the random and isolated act of one individual, but yet another act of violence against the police and against authority. I think this is worse than a personal attack."
The last time a cop was slain in Manitoba occurred in December 2001, when RCMP Cpl. Dennis Strongquill was ambushed on the highway near Russell during a traffic stop. Three heavily-armed fugitives on the run from Alberta were responsible, and one of them, Danny Sand, was killed during a subsequent standoff outside a Saskatchewan motel.
Robert Sand and his girlfriend, Laurie Bell, were both arrested at the motel. Sand was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. Bell was found guilty by a jury of manslaughter, and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Court heard the trio, high on drugs and amped by a Prairie crime spree in which theyd stockpiled weapons, had a hatred for police and decided to open fire without warning when Strongquill and his partner pulled them over for a broken headlight on the highway.
Strongquills tragic death sent shockwaves through the country and continues to resonate to this day among law enforcement.
mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca
Assiniboia MLA Steven Fletcher is being criticized for a tweet in which he described his former Winnipeg language arts instructor as "the hottest teacher."
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Assiniboia MLA Steven Fletcher is being criticized for a tweet in which he described his former Winnipeg language arts instructor as "the hottest teacher."
Fletcher said it is common for students to have crushes on their teachers "because it is a very human thing." (Fred Chartrand / The Canadian Press files)
On Thursday, the former federal cabinet minister replied to a tweet from his junior high teacher, Lori Phillips, who had congratulated him on an article that he had written for the Economist magazine.
"Thank you. It's nice to hear from you," Fletcher responded.
"You were always my favourite teacher. Given 35 years have passed if I may tell you that you were also the hottest teacher. All the boys loved you in inappropriate ways. :)"
Ms. Phillips,
Thank you. It's nice to hear from you. You were always my favourite teacher. Given 35 years have passed if I may tell you that you were also the hottest teacher. All the boys loved you in inappropriate ways. :) Steven Fletcher (@HonSFletcher) August 30, 2018
By Friday, the tweet had become widely circulated, drawing stunned and angry responses, including some from Fletcher's former Progressive Conservative caucus colleagues.
Fletcher was booted out of the the PC caucus last year for publicly challenging some of the government's policies and now sits as an independent.
"Most definitely I should learn how Twitter works, as I would not want more people than the people mentioned to have seen the tweet." Steven Fletcher
Rochelle Squires, minister responsible for the status of women, tweeted: "I don't even know what to say... so, so, insulting, demeaning, inappropriate..."
PC MLA Sara Guillemard (Fort Richmond) tweeted: "This is one way to get attention. Not very wise, though. #nofilter #apologize"
Interviewed Friday, Fletcher, who joined Twitter in November 2008 and has more than 6,000 followers, suggested he wasn't aware that a reply to a tweet could be seen by all who follow him.
"Most definitely I should learn how Twitter works, as I would not want more people than the people mentioned to have seen the tweet," he told the Free Press.
Twitter reaction See Independent MLA Steven Fletcher's tweet to his former teacher, and some of the responses to it on Twitter. click to read more MLA under fire for tweet to former teacher Close
"My intent was to thank a former teacher for helping me to be able to write the kind of articles I wrote for the Economist and to thank them in a fun way in the context of 35 years ago. And obviously... it would have been much better for it to have stayed within the people who understood the context and the spirit in which the tweet, or the reply to their tweet, was made."
Fletcher said it is common for students to have crushes on their teachers "because it is a very human thing." Asked about the appropriateness of making those feelings public, he replied: "Then I guess I'm honest in public."
Asked if he felt he owed his former teacher an apology, Fletcher said: "I am in contact with that individual and have made the appropriate gestures and so long as that individual is fine with it, I'm fine with it."
However, when the Free Press contacted Phillips in Vancouver Friday morning, she had obviously not seen the tweet and was caught off guard.
"Oh dear," she said as a reporter read it to her.
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Asked for her comment, Phillips said, "I'll just ignore it because I don't need to comment on that."
"I'll just ignore it because I don't need to comment on that." Former teacher Lori Phillips
Delaney Coelho, co-chair of the Manitoba chapter of Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to electing more women to all levels of office, called Fletcher's tweet "completely unacceptable," especially from an elected official who should serve as a role model.
"Words matter and language matters, and especially when youre an elected politician and you have a platform that accesses a lot of people," she said.
Unfortunately, women face these types of comments in every sector, Coelho said.
"Women have to deal with these kinds of comments on the job every day by their colleagues or bosses or supervisors. Its not acceptable in any environment."
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
A week after his party was jolted by the defection of high-profile Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer arrived in Winnipeg Thursday for a two-day visit to show the flag and begin rallying the troops for next year's federal election.
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A week after his party was jolted by the defection of high-profile Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer arrived in Winnipeg Thursday for a two-day visit to show the flag and begin rallying the troops for next year's federal election.
"I'm here to do events, to meet with people. We're here to talk about crime. We're here to support nominated candidates, to help get ready for the next election," Scheer told a press conference at a downtown hotel.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Andrew Scheer, talks with reporters at news conference at the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg Thursday. See Larry's story. August 30/18
His staff say Scheer is pushing forward with the Conservatives' positive vision for the future in the wake of last week's bombshell development, in which Bernier left the party, calling it "intellectually and morally corrupt" and announcing plans to form a new group.
At a 10-minute news conference, called ostensibly to react to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion ruling, Scheer steered clear of addressing party unity when given the opportunity.
He will spend part of the visit consulting community members about crime prevention. He will also meet members of the aerospace industry and the business community. As well, he has scheduled time with Premier Brian Pallister, his staff say.
Scheer made a point of expressing his deepest sympathies for the Manitoba Mountie who was wounded in a shooting near Onanole Wednesday evening. "My thoughts and prayers are with this individual," he said.
The Conservative leader defended his recent harsh criticism of the Trudeau government's handling of the trade talks with the United States and Mexico.
Scheer tweeted earlier this week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "failure on NAFTA has left Canada out in the cold and put thousands of jobs at risk.... It's time for the grown-ups to be in charge again."
That contrasted with the more Team Canada approach of former Conservative foreign minister John Baird, who recently tweeted that Canada's negotiators are "competent and highly trained," and he wished Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her team luck in the latest round of talks.
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Scheer said the Conservatives have supported the government's efforts to maintain and protect NAFTA, promoting the trade deal in Washington.
"Conservatives will always do our very best to help the government," he said.
Scheer said he has struck a balance between holding the government to account while promoting the benefits of the trade deal.
"Here we have a situation where we are perhaps days away from understanding the level of agreement that has (been reached) between Mexico and the United States without Canada's participation," he said. "Clearly, that's not an optimal situation. Justin Trudeau has to explain how this has happened."
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont thinks the province should earmark tax revenues from legal cannabis sales to fight the devastation being caused by a different drug: methamphetamine.
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This article was published 31/8/2018 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont thinks the province should earmark tax revenues from legal cannabis sales to fight the devastation being caused by a different drug: methamphetamine.
Specifically, Lamont wants government profit from legal marijuana sales to be used to fund "drug stablization units" to help treat meth users -- which his party has been calling for since January.
Meth, Lamont said, "is a different kind of drug."
"You can't use it in safe injection sites the way you can with some opioids... And the fact is, you're dealing with people who might be high for eight to 12 hours, and who might be in psychosis. So it's incredibly difficult to find a place for them that's safe for them to actually be treated for addiction."
Provincial cannabis tax revenue could also be spent on new prevention campaigns targeting meth, Lamont added.
"You'll see billboards all over the place about not driving high, there was a bit of a public awareness campaign around fentanyl, but there really hasn't been anything around meth and meth is the big problem in Manitoba," he said Friday.
"There is no excuse for ignoring this crisis any longer, and that's basically what this government has been doing."
Cannabis not expected to profit province: government
The Progressive Conservative government has previously tried to play down expectations of a revenue bonanza from legal cannabis sales, and Minister of Finance Scott Fielding stayed the course in a written statement Friday.
"If and when any revenue is realized from the legalization of cannabis, we have already said that addictions costs will be something those revenues will be used for," said Fielding.
"However, as we have also said on a number of occasions, we expect the costs of legalizing cannabis to far exceed revenues for the next two years, based on the limited information we have at this time. Our government has asked departments to track these costs over the next fiscal year," he said.
"We know its a Liberal tradition to spend money they dont have yet. Our government and Manitobans prefer a fiscally responsible approach."
Services needed now, not later: NDP
NDP health critic Andrew Swan placed blame for the drug crisis on both Premier Brian Pallister and the federal Liberal government.
"They have cut funding to our health-care system and cancelled important services. They have refused to invest in front-line addictions services or pursue progressive harm-reduction initiatives like safe injection sites," Swan said in a statement.
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"Unlike Dougald Lamont, the Manitoba NDP believes in an approach that gives people all the services they need across the system treatment and harm-reduction, together.
"Whats more, under Lamont's proposed cannabis plan families would have to wait until cannabis is legalized and starts to generate revenues before they could get help. Manitoba families need services today, not months from now."
Legal cannabis sales in Manitoba will be exempt from provincial sales tax, but the province will glean tax revenue from the drug in other ways. Cannabis retailers in Manitoba will be subject to a six per cent "social responsibility fee" on their total annual revenues beginning in 2019, with the first payments due in 2020.
On top of that, licensed cannabis producers will be subject to a federal excise tax that will be split between Ottawa and provincial governments, with provinces receiving 75 per cent. Finally, the province will glean revenue from Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation's nine per cent wholesale markup on all legal cannabis distributed in Manitoba.
In September 2017, MLL estimated retail cannabis sales would earn net profit of $12.8 million in the first year, according to a February 2018 briefing note obtained by the Manitoba NDP.
solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sol_israel
An education review, properly done, would be a huge boon to the educational enterprise in Manitoba. Amalgamation, hastily done, using Shannon Samperts shaky rationale and premises (Its time to start talking about amalgamation, Aug. 16), on the other hand, is premature and no substitute for a thoughtful, comprehensive review of education. It reflects a too-common penchant of both educators and others to think of a solution prior to defining the problem sufficiently, and to seek simple structural answers to conceptually complex enterprises such as democracy and education.
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Opinion
An education review, properly done, would be a huge boon to the educational enterprise in Manitoba. Amalgamation, hastily done, using Shannon Samperts shaky rationale and premises ("Its time to start talking about amalgamation," Aug. 16), on the other hand, is premature and no substitute for a thoughtful, comprehensive review of education. It reflects a too-common penchant of both educators and others to think of a solution prior to defining the problem sufficiently, and to seek simple structural answers to conceptually complex enterprises such as democracy and education.
Sampert invokes words such as "modernize" and "progress" to support her case for amalgamation of school divisions, and arguments like "everybody is doing it" and "bigger is better." Neither argument is very convincing, and neither is sensitive to educational demands.
"Education," quoting one of the top political philosophers of the 20th century, Jean Bethke Elshtain, "is not about (building the best technology) but about how people learn (and relearn) to live their lives every day." In educational terms, this means "what do I need to know and do to be a better person, and how can I contribute to making the world a better place through what I have learned and how I act?"
In Canada, this educational question translates into, "How can I be a better person, neighbour, worker and citizen?" For a school system, this means "What do we wish to have our children know and do as a result of being in our schools?" As these are questions with strongly held, but often differing, answers, an education review would rightfully prior to considering how we reorganize ourselves provide opportunities and spaces to discuss our various answers.
Finally, like all human enterprises, education needs to be revisited and renewed often, and we have not had a thorough provincial discussion on education since the CORE report of the 1970s. As for amalgamation, the arguments provided are not convincing.
I would argue that there should always be many more trustees than MPs and MLAs. Education is, first and foremost, a homegrown, home-fed activity, and the closer to the action the people who run the systems are, the more likely they are to be sensitive to local and individual needs. This is an issue for democracy, as we now know that fewer and fewer people are increasingly making decisions further removed from the people who are affected by their decisions.
Whats more, trustees are really inexpensive for the work they do on our behalf, so numbers are not a major issue. As for people not knowing their names, there are disturbingly large numbers of people who also dont know their MLAs, MPs or even their premier, so this is hardly a criterion for their elimination. On the other hand, when citizens do call on them, trustees are usually much more accessible.
Similarly, the misbehaviours of a board, or individuals on a board, are hardly good reasons to get rid of boards if we used that argument, we would have few institutions left, public or private. And it might be noted that if were looking for unending conflict and dysfunction on a huge scale, we need look no further than all the large urban (amalgamated) school districts in Canada. We might very well ask a different question: "Have they become too big to be effective?"
As for funding and equity, there is nothing particular in todays funding formula that mitigates against equity. It is not the formula, so much as the willingness to do minor revisions that would simplify and equalize the local contributions across the board. There is probably as much inequity within large divisions themselves as there is in the province as a whole. Politicians of all stripes simply have not been inclined to take equity seriously, and most attempts to do so have been overridden by wealthier parts of our cities.
Secondly, when it comes to amalgamation, if at all possible it should be voluntary. Our legacy of "forced amalgamations" has created still-unresolved resentments across Canada, resulting from a lack of attempts to be educationally rational and community sensitive. Its hard to understand the "progress" that Sampert suggests in the last amalgamation, which created greater inequities and anomalies.
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We would do well to learn from the Manitoba First Nations School System, which is a voluntary collaboration based upon educational hope and advantage, where people surrender aspects of local control for the benefit of their children and young people.
Relatedly, amalgamations have never "saved" money and there is no reason to believe that we have learned anything about efficiency from past amalgamations.
Finally, I can agree that some minimal amalgamation would be in order and, if done rationally, is likely to benefit students. Having said that, I do not agree that our students are performing miserably. The facts are that Manitoba students have consistently performed in the middle group on standardized tests.
While it has often been reported that they are "still dead last" in reading, science and mathematics, the truth is that many are doing much better and there is no statistically significant difference between Manitoba and several of those provinces just "above them" on the last report. We have also no reason to make hasty changes, as there is no evidence whatsoever that the last amalgamations improved standardized test scores, which themselves are a very crude measure of educational achievement.
The province is right to take its time to carefully think through the matter of an education review, and to not interrupt the trustee elections indiscriminately. I would only hope that they not put the proverbial "cart before the horse" by making drastic structural and financial changes before allowing citizens to have a say in what they want from their education system.
John Wiens is dean emeritus at the faculty of education, University of Manitoba. A lifelong educator, he has served as a teacher, counsellor, work education co-ordinator, principal, school superintendent and university professor.
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"Gun control."
With the possible exception of "reproductive rights," there likely isnt a two-word combination that has become more divisively politicized in the current societal conversation.
Those who are committed to addressing firearms-related violence in Canada including both homicides and suicides tend to favour greater restriction on the types of weapons available to the public and the manner in which they can be legally obtained. Of particular interest to gun-control advocates are handguns and military-style assault rifles, neither of which have any real practical application for civilians, hunters or rural residents who keep firearms at hand to protect their livestock from predation.
Those who oppose gun control are inclined to fly into a bit of a tizzy at the mere utterance of the words, retreating to familiar cries that any discussion of weapons restriction represents "the thin edge of the wedge" in a process that will inevitably lead to the government "coming for your guns."
Canada clearly should not and, thankfully, does not seek to emulate the gunrelated attitudes and politics of its southern neighbour.
There is, as evidenced by reactions to this weeks report that the federal government will consider an outright ban on certain firearms, simply no middle ground on which to have a measured, collaborative and hopefully productive conversation about guns.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released the mandate letters given to new cabinet ministers; among the assignments for Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair is the direction to "lead an examination of a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada..."
Heres what not one single person said in response to the mandate letters release: "An examination of that issue seems reasonable, given the perceived increase in gun-related violence in Canada; we should seek expertise from both sides and work toward a compromise that satisfies both proponents and opponents while at the same time making Canada safer for its citizens."
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Instead, the heated discussion broke along the expected lines of ideological demarcation: guns bad, or government bad for taking away guns. Neither side seemed interested in the fact Mr. Blairs instructional sentence regarding a possible gun ban ends in the following manner: "... while not impeding the lawful use of firearms by Canadians."
Gun-control advocates are correct when they assert that ease of access to firearms particularly handguns and military-style weaponry contributes to gun-involved violence. All one needs to do is cast a cautious glance south of the border, where gun culture is embedded, guns are readily available and the gun-related homicide rate far outstrips that of other high-income countries.
Contrast that to Australia, which introduced comprehensive gun control 22 years ago, reducing their rate of mass shootings to zero. Simply put, fewer guns necessarily means less gun violence.
But gun-ownership defenders are also correct in saying a ban will not deter those who employ firearms for criminal and violent purposes. Handgun ownership and transport are heavily restricted in Canada now, but those regulations and any law that might result from Mr. Blairs study are hardly front-of-mind considerations for individuals bearing arms with wrongful intent.
Canada clearly should not and, thankfully, does not seek to emulate the gun-related attitudes and politics of its southern neighbour. But it also cannot pattern its gun response after that of Australia, which is an isolated island continent and not a nation sharing a largely undefended border with the most gun-crazed country on Earth.
Canada needs its own plan for dealing with gun-related violence. And the creation of any such strategy must begin with the willingness to have a serious adult conversation.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico The long-awaited federal trial of a Puerto Rico woman accused of hiring a hit man to kill her rich Canadian husband began on Thursday, and the judge warned the jury it would get hot.
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico The long-awaited federal trial of a Puerto Rico woman accused of hiring a hit man to kill her rich Canadian husband began on Thursday, and the judge warned the jury "it would get hot."
A decade has gone by since Aurea Vazquez Rijos was charged with offering a man US $3 million to kill real estate developer Adam Anhang, a Winnipeg native who had moved to Puerto Rico a year before he was killed.
Vazquez was extradited three years ago from Spain with her one-month-old baby after a lengthy manhunt.
Ex-Winnipegger Adam Anhang was killed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2005.
"This is a murder case," Jose Ruiz, assistant U.S. district attorney, said in his opening statement. "It was to collect money from him."
Anhang was killed Sept. 22, 2005, at nearly midnight on a Friday, on the corner of a cobblestone street in the historic part of San Juans capital. He was hit in the head with an object and then repeatedly stabbed. Twelve hours earlier, he had told his wife he wanted a divorce, prosecutors said.
"That is something she didnt want," Ruiz said, adding that the couples therapist had earlier recorded her reaction in his notes: "I am not going to let you go that easy."
The couple had begun dating two years before the killing, with Anhang buying Vazquez a car, an apartment and a business in Old San Juan called "The Pink Skirt." A day before the wedding, they signed a prenup, with Anhangs value estimated at more than US$24 million and Vazquezs at nearly US$62,300.
Aurea Vazquez Rijos (left) is accused of hiring a hit man to kill her husband. (Carlos Giusti / El Vocero files)
If Anhang died, his wife would receive US$8 million. Six months after he was killed, Vazquez sued his parents seeking US$1 million in damages and US$8 million from his estate. Shortly after filing the lawsuit, she left for Florence, Italy. Once there, prosecutors said she wrote emails to her family pleading for money.
Defence attorney Lydia Lizarribar rejected the allegations and told the jury that her client is innocent. She said she would prove that Vazquez had been wanting to go to Italy to study and work since 2002, and that she was living there under her real name.
"She was not hiding at all," Lizarribar said, adding that the couple was a perfect match and liked to travel together. "The evidence will show that Adam was in love with his wife."
Jose Ferrer Sosa arrives at the federal court of Old San Juan. (Carlos Giusti / The Associated Press)
Among those testifying in the trial is Alex Pabon Colon, whose nickname is "The Crazy One." Prosecutors said he sold drugs at The Pink Skirt and elsewhere, and that Vazquez, her sister and a friend agreed to hire him as a hit man. They said he killed Anhang and injured Vazquez to make it look like a robbery, but that he forgot to steal Anhangs wallet and other belongings.
Prosecutors said he then told a friend what he had done and asked him to drive by the crime scene to ensure Anhang was dead.
Also testifying is a man who sued for wrongful conviction after he was convicted of killing Anhang and spent eight months in jail. He was released when Pabon was charged.
When police interviewed Vazquez, she said that a tall, black man with tattoos on his forearms had attacked them.
In the weeks after the murder, prosecutors said Pabon kept sending letters to Vazquezs sister with demands for money and other things: "I dont give a damn if the victims old man kept everything," they said he wrote.
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Marcia Vazquez Rijos arrives at the federal court of Old San Juan. (Carlos Giusti / The Associated Press)
Lizarribar, however, said that Pabon only mentions "loans" in the letters, and that he does not specifically ask for a payment.
Meanwhile, Vazquez was thinking about moving from Italy to Israel, falsifying documents to prove she was Jewish and asking a lawyer whether Israel had an extradition agreement with the U.S., prosecutors said.
In June 2013, she was arrested when she flew to Spain from Italy. Two years later, in September 2015, she was extradited to Puerto Rico. A pair of female twins that she had with a man in Italy stayed with their father.
Abraham Anhang, the victims father, told The Associated Press that he is looking forward to seeing an ending to the case.
"Closure is something were praying for," he said in a phone interview.
"Thirteen years is a very long time to wait for justice."
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A landmark court decision issued this week casts doubt on whether Kinder Morgans troubled and controversial Trans Mountain pipeline project can go forward.
United States Coast Salish Tribes including the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Tulalip Tribes, Lummi Nation, and Suquamish Tribe were celebrating the decision, which found that the permits for the pipeline were issued illegally.
Over the last 100 years, our most sacred site, the Salish Sea, has been deeply impacted by our pollution-based economy," said Swinomish tribal chair Brian Cladoosby. The place that we're living now is where we have been since time immemorial. All of our roots go deep and our bloodlines are woven thru out the Salish Sea. Coast Salish and all native peoples are what you call a place-based society. What that means is, we just can't pick up and move to Ottawa or Montana or Texas. We are where we are.
In 2014, the four U.S. tribes intervened in the Canadian National Energy Board proceeding considering whether to issue permits for the pipeline.
They joined their Canadian First Nation partners in vigorously opposing the project due to its impacts on treaty rights, livelihoods, and culture. The project would move close to 900,000 barrels of toxic tar sands crude adjacent the sensitive waters of the Salish Sea, where much of it would be shipped through shared U.S. and Canadian marine waters.
The almost seven-fold increase in oil tankers would have triggered a seemingly inevitable increase in groundings, accidents, incidents, leaks and oil spills. Experts agree that a serious oil spill in the Salish Sea would devastate an already-stressed marine environment and likely lead to collapses in the remaining salmon stocks and further contamination of shellfish beds, wiping out Indigenous fishing rights.
In this week's decision, the Federal Court of Appeals rejected the Canadian governments approval on two grounds. First, it held that the Canadian government failed to adequately consult with and address the concerns of First Nations who were opposed to the project.
Second, the Court faulted the government for ignoring the impacts of marine vessel traffic, which included undisputed and grave threats to already-stressed resident orcas. As the Court found, Project-related tankers carry the risk of significant, if not catastrophic, adverse environmental and socio-economic effects should a spill occur. These are precisely the risks brought to the NEBs attention by the U.S. tribes.
The court case was brought by a coalition of Canadian First Nations, cities, and conservation organizations. The U.S. tribes were not a party to the court case.
On the record
Chairman Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe: The Suquamish Tribe is pleased that the Canadian Courts have ruled in favor the First Nations and their U.S. relatives in rejecting the permits for the Kinder Morgan pipeline. The proposed pipeline would put more oil on the Salish Sea thereby increasing the threat of damage to our fragile and sacred ecosystem, not only for oil spills but also interference with our fishermen working to maintain our ancient way of life. Now is the time to invest in the health of our marine waters, as we try to save the orca and the salmon, rather than trying to expand investment in the fossil fuel industry.
Chairman Jay Julius, Lummi Indian Business Council: We congratulate our relatives in British Columbia and are pleased to see that the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal recognizes the obligation to meaningfully engage with Canadian First Nations. Like our relatives across the border, we have a sacred obligation to protect (Xa xalh Xechnging) to the Salish Sea (Xwullemy) and to all our relations, including the qwe lhol mech ten (killer whales), who are telling us in their suffering to stand up, to show up, to warrior up and fight against pollution for profit, and for the health of Xwullemy.
Ray Harris, co-chair Coast Salish Gathering and Chemainus First Nation: Our Coast Salish namesakes, bloodlines, teaching and tradition laws are intertwined though out the Salish Sea and all that is hers. Today I stand with our ancestors and our childrens children to come with a victory that our voices have been heard. We are honored to have our Coast Salish brothers and sisters fighting for what we love the most, the Salish Sea. Today is a victory.
Marie Zackuse, chairwoman, Tulalip Tribes: The Tulalip Tribes applaud the Courts finding that Canada failed to meaningfully consult with the First Nations and U.S. Tribes that would be affected by the Transmountain Pipeline. A massive increase in oil tanker traffic will affect Salish peoples in both sides of the border and our voices need to be heard.
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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.
Ellie Mae, Inc. provides cloud-based platform for the mortgage finance industry in the United States. It provides Encompass, an enterprise solution that engages in running the business of originating mortgages, including marketing and lead management; loan origination and processing; underwriting; preparation of mortgage applications, disclosure agreements, and closing documents; loan funding and closing; compliance with regulatory and investor requirements; and enterprise management. The company's Encompass Digital Lending Platform helps lenders and investors across their workflow from the prospective customers to the point of loan delivery. In addition, the company provides education and training services; professional and technical support services; and loan product, policy, and guideline data and analytics services. Ellie Mae, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.
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The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T
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Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells BMW vehicles and automotive components in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers minibuses under the JinBei, Renault, Haise, Grand Haise, and Granse brands, as well as multi-purpose vehicles under the Huasong brand. Its automotive components include moldings, seats, axles, safety and airbag systems, and interior decoration products, as well as engines for minibuses, sedans, sport utility vehicles, light duty trucks, etc. The company also provides BMW sport activity vehicles. In addition, it offers auto-financing services to customers and dealers. Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited has strategic partnerships and alliances with BMW, Toyota, Magna, Bosch, Continental, Delphi, TI Automotive, and Johnson Controls. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC.
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.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Crane: "CPI-Kiev" LLC, ARDAC Inc., AeroHose, Alfa Laval - The Industrial Flow Group, Armature d.o.o., Automatic Products (UK) Ltd., Automatic Products international - Assets, B. Rhodes & Son Ltd., Barksdale GmbH, Barksdale Inc., CA-MC Acquisition UK Ltd., CR Holdings C.V., CashCode Co - Assets, Coin Controls International Ltd., Coin Holdings Ltd., Coin Industries Ltd., Coin Overseas Holdings Ltd., Coin Pension Trustees Ltd., Conlux Matsumoto Co. Ltd., Consolidated Lumber Co, Corva Corp, Crane (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Crane Aerospace Inc., Crane Australia Pty. Ltd., Crane Canada Co., Crane Composites Inc., Crane Composites Ltd., Crane Controls Inc., Crane Currency, Crane Electronics Corporation, Crane Electronics Inc., Crane Environmental Inc., Crane European Financing LLC, Crane Fengqiu Zhejiang Pump Co. Ltd., Crane Fluid & Gas Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Crane Global Holdings S.L., Crane GmbH, Crane Holdings (Germany) GmbH, Crane International Capital S.a.r.l., Crane International Holdings Inc., Crane International Trading (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Crane Ireland Ventures Designated Activity Company, Crane Ltd., Crane Merchandising Systems Inc., Crane Merchandising Systems Ltd., Crane Merger Co. LLC, Crane Middle East & Africa FZE, Crane Ningjin Valve Co. Ltd., Crane North America Funding LLC, Crane Nuclear Inc., Crane Overseas LLC, Crane Payment Innovations GmbH, Crane Payment Innovations Inc., Crane Payment Innovations International Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Pty Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Sarl, Crane Payment Innovations Srl, Crane Pension Trustee Company (UK) Limited, Crane Process Flow Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies GmbH, Crane Process Flow Technologies Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.P.R.L., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.r.l., Crane Pumps and Systems Inc., Crane Resistoflex GmbH, Crane SC Holdings Ltd., Crane Stockham Valve. Ltd., Crane Yongxiang (Ningbo) Valve Company Ltd., Croning Livarna d.o.o., Cummis-Allison Corp, Delta Fluid Products, Delta Fluid Products Ltd., Dixie Narco, Donald Brown (Brownall) Ltd., ELDEC Corporation, ELDEC Electronics Ltd., ELDEC France S.A.R.L, Edlon - PSI division, Environmental Products USA, Etex Group - Business, Flow Technology Inc., Friedrich Krombach GmbH Armaturenwerke, General Technology Corp., Hattersley Newman Hender - Assets, Hattersly Newman Hender Ltd., Hydro-Aire Inc., Inta-Lok Ltd., Interpoint S.A.R.L., Interpoint U.K. Limited, Kessel (Thailand) Pte. Ltd., Kontron America - Mobile Rugged Business, Laminated Profiles - Assets, Lasco Composites, Liberty Technologies, MCC Holdings Inc., MEI Australia LLC, MEI Auto Payment System (Shanghai) Ltd., MEI Conlux, MEI Conlux Holdings (Japan) Inc., MEI Conlux Holdings (US) Inc., MEI Payment Systems Hong Kong Ltd., MEI Queretaro S. de R.L. de CV, MEI de Mexico LLC, MOVATS - Nuclear Valve Division, Merrimac Industries, Merrimac Industries Inc., Mondais Holdings B.V., Money Controls, Money Controls Argentina SA, Money Controls Holdings Ltd., Multi-Mix Microtechnology SRL, NABIC Valve Safety Products Ltd., Nippon Conlux Co. Ltd., Noble Composites, Noble Composites Inc., Number One Supply, Owens Corning - FRP Panel Business, P.L. Porter, P.T. Crane Indonesia, Pegler Hattersly Ltd., Resistoflex, Sequentia Holdings, Signal Technology, Sperryn & Company Ltd., Stentorfield, Streamware, Telequip, Terminal Manufacturing Co., The Dow Chemical - Plastic-Lined Piping Products division, The Krombach Group, Triangle Valve Co. Ltd., Unidynamics / Phoenix Inc., Ventech Controls, Viking Johnson Ltd., W.T. Armatur GmbH, Wade Couplings Ltd., Wask Ltd., Westlock Controls, Xomox, Xomox Chihuahua S.A. de C.V., Xomox Corporation, Xomox Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Xomox France S.A.S., Xomox Hungary Kft., Xomox International GmbH & Co. OHG, Xomox Japan Ltd., Xomox Korea Ltd., Xomox Sanmar Ltd., and Yilme Holdings B.V..
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
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Countryside Properties PLC operates as a home builder and urban regeneration partner in the United Kingdom. It operates through two segments, Partnerships and Housebuilding. The Partnerships segment specializes in the urban regeneration of public sector land that delivers private, affordable, and private rented sector homes in partnership with local authorities and housing associations. This segment also develops brownfield land in the Midlands, the North West of England, and Yorkshire. The Housebuilding segment delivers homes to local owner occupiers; and develops primarily private and affordable homes located in outer London and the home counties. The company also offers estate management services. It has a total land bank of 42,000 plots. The company was formerly known as Hackplimco (No. 121) plc and changed its name to Countryside Properties PLC in January 2016. Countryside Properties PLC was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Brentwood, the United Kingdom.
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DowDuPont Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in agriculture, materials science, and specialty products businesses in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company's Agriculture segment produces, and sells hybrid corn seed and soybean seed varieties; sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa, canola, cotton, rice, and sorghum; silage inoculants; and crop protection products that include weed control, disease control, and insect control. Its Performance Materials & Coatings segment manufactures and sells architectural paints and coatings, and industrial coatings; performance monomers and silicones; standalone silicones; and home and personal care solutions. The company's Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure segment offers ethylene oxides, propylene oxide derivatives, cellulose ethers, redispersible latex powders, and acrylic emulsions; sustainable solutions; and chlorine and caustic soda. Its Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment provides ethylene, and propylene and aromatic products; and polyolefin elastomers and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers. The company's Electronics & Imaging segment offers materials and systems for mobile devices, television monitors, personal computers, and electronics. Its Nutrition & Biosciences segment provides specialty ingredients, as well as cellulosic- and alginates-based pharma excipients; and enzymes, biomaterials, biocides, and antimicrobial solutions and process technologies. The company's Transportation & Advanced Polymers segment offers engineering resins, adhesives, lubricants, and parts for transportation, electronics, healthcare, industrial, and consumer end-markets. Its Safety & Construction segment provides engineered products and integrated systems for construction, worker safety, energy, oil and gas, transportation, medical device, and water purification and separation industries. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Midland, Michigan.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..
Sanchez Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of U.S. onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources. It engages in the horizontal development of resources from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. It also holds an undeveloped acreage position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2017, the company had assembled approximately 285,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale; and owned approximately 37,000 net acres in the TMS. Sanchez Energy Corporation was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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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
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Systemax Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a direct marketer of brand name and private label industrial and business equipment and supplies in North America. It sells a range of maintenance, repair, and operation products, including storage and shelving, material handling, janitorial and maintenance products, furniture and office products, workbenches and shop desks, HVAC/R and fans, safety and security products, outdoor and grounds maintenance products, tools and instruments, and office and school supplies. The company also sells plumbing products and pumps, packaging products and supplies, electrical and lighting products, food service products and appliances, raw materials and building supplies, motors and power transmission products, pneumatics and hydraulics, medical and laboratory equipment, metalworking and cutting tools, vehicle maintenance products, and fasteners and hardware. It offers its products under the Global, GlobalIndustrial.com, Nexel Paramount, and Interion brand names. The company offers its products to businesses, educational organizations, and government entities through relationship marketers, catalogs, and e-commerce sites. Systemax Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Port Washington, New York.
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H&R Block, Inc. engages in the provision of tax preparation and other services. The firm offers assisted income tax return preparation and related services through a system of retail offices operated directly by the company or by franchisees. It also develops and markets DIY income tax preparation software online, as well as through third-party retail stores and direct mail; and provides DIY tax services, including federal and state income tax returns, access to tax tips, advice and tax-related news, use of calculators for tax planning, and error checking and electronic filing. In addition, the company offers Refund Transfers and H&R Block Emerald Prepaid Mastercard, which enables clients to receive their tax refunds; Peace of Mind extended service plans; H&R Block Emerald Advance lines of credit; Tax Identity Shield that provides clients assistance in helping protect their tax identity and access to services to help restore their tax identity; refund advance loans; H&R Block Instant Refund; and H&R Block Pay With Refund services. The company was founded by Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch on January 25, 1955 and is headquartered in Kansas City, MO.
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In a revealing interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn CEO Terry Gao, confirmed that the new multibillion-dollar taxpayer-subsidized factory, planned for southeastern Wisconsin, will be a smaller, robotic-based Generation 6 factory. Woo stated this smaller factory will be the countrys first thin-film transistor fabrication, or TFT Fab, operation.
On May 23, the Nikkei Asian Review had reported that Foxconn would no longer be building the proposed, and agreed-upon, Generation 10.5 factory. Foxconn vehemently denied the story at the time, but now has confirmed the long-planned scaling back of its operations, while swindling the working class of Wisconsin for billions of dollars.
The now-proposed Generation 6 (Gen 6) factory will not be able to produce the larger screens a Generation 10.5 (Gen 10.5) factory would be capable of producing. According to Bob OBrien, cofounder and president of Display Supply Chain Consultants, the scaling down of the factory means that investment required is much less.
OBrien told the Milwaukee Business Journal in May that a $10 billion investment would make sense for a Gen 10.5 plant, but that a Gen 6 plant would require a $2 billion to $3 billion investment.
This smaller plant will be focused on building smaller screens, artificial intelligence, 5G cell phone technology and 8K image resolution. Louis Woo further stated that Foxconn wasnt really interested in television, despite this corporate handout being sold to the working class as boon for LCD television production in an economically depressed area. It now appears the factory jobs promised will not be forthcoming.
Its clear that Foxconn had been planning on building a smaller factory from the beginning. The investment Foxconn has put forth will already be covered by the $1 billion subsidy promised by the Walker administration and local municipalities, at the expense of the Wisconsin working class.
The workers required at the factory, if it materializes, will be more-specialized knowledge workers as opposed to less-skilled assembly line workers, Woo told the Journal Times of Racine, Wisconsin: If, six months ago, you asked me: What would be the mix of labor? I would pull out the experience that we have in China and say, Well, 75 percent assembly line workers, 25 percent engineers and managers, Woo, continued, So, ask me the question today, now it looks like about 10 percent assembly line workers, 90 percent knowledge workers.
The impetus for this change, Woo explained, was due to market conditions and the much higher labor costs in the United States compared to China. Woo expects us to believe that Foxconn was unaware of differences in labor costs until six months ago? This was the strategy from the onset.
Foxconn has an history of promising thousands of jobs and billions in investments, yet few of these promises have come to fruition. In 2013, Foxconn had announced that the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, would be the recipient of a new high-tech factory promising 500 new jobs. Five years later, gravel still sits at the proposed building site.
Mirroring the Harrisburg deal, Foxconn in 2014, promoted a letter of intent to invest $1 billion dollars in Indonesia to build a new factory. An even larger carrot was dangled to Indian big business, when a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU was signed detailing a $5 billion investment promising 50,000 new jobs. These assembly line jobs building cell phone parts have failed to materialize in both countries.
The deal Governor Scott Walker originally touted to Wisconsinites in July 2017 was for a $3 billion state subsidy, with Foxconn promising to invest $10 billion in a factory and guaranteeing 13,000 jobs by 2023. However, the draft agreed upon by the Wisconsin Economic Development Council (WEDC) and Foxconn, in November 2017, only requires a $9 billion investment by the company by 2023.
The threshold to continue receiving tax credits requires Foxconn to have hired 5,200 workers by 2022, less than half of the original 13,000 promised. Meanwhile the increasing burden being foisted upon the working class has ballooned to approximately $4.1 billion.
Of this $4.1 billion, $6.8 million will go to advertising the new knowledge worker jobs to out-of-state residents. An additional $120 million has been earmarked for a new electrical substation and power line that will power the sprawling facility. The cost of this will be passed on to the approximately 5 million WE Energy customers in southeastern Wisconsin.
The job requirements included in the WEDC agreement state that the minimum salary for an employee will be a paltry $30,000, while the average employee must earn $53,900. With the new emphasis on robotics, artificial intelligence and engineering, the few lower-skilled assembly workers employed at the facility can expect to be paid poorly and work under inhumane conditions, similar to their class brothers and sisters in Taiwan, where Foxconn has installed suicide nets outside their factory windows.
In addition, Foxconn executives and investors are passing on their infrastructure costs to the Wisconsin population in the form of power and road subsidies. Environmental protections will also be waived for the new facility. A permit request was approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for Foxconn to pump an estimated 7 million gallons of water daily from Lake Michigan into the plant, of which 4 million gallons will be rendered unfit for human consumption. This diversion of water from Lake Michigan, in violation of the Great Lakes Water Compact, opens the floodgates for other corporations to request similar destructive permits that border the Great Lakes, including Canada.
UW-Milwaukee chemistry and biology Professor David H. Petering writes that the new facility will be a major source polluter of greenhouse gases, emitting more than 10 times the amount that triggers this designation.
Foxconns reckless and environmentally damaging practices exacerbate ozone depletion leading to rising global temperatures and can be seen in climate-change-induced disasters such as the California fires and the floods throughout Kerala, India.
Growing working class resentment toward the continued theft and deception displayed by the fourth largest information technology company in the world, with an estimated $154.7 billion revenue in 2017, has prompted the company to announce two separate gifts.
On Monday, Foxconn announced a $100 million investment grant to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This grant will establish the Foxconn Institute for Research in Science and Technology, or FIRST, according to the Business Journal. FIRST will be located on the Foxconn campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, with an off campus hub in Madison. UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank touted the gift as an opportunity for collaboration, while fostering the talent pipeline that will help build Wisconsins future.
The second gift announced Tuesday, with Governor Scott Walker in attendance, was the establishment of the $100 million Wisconn Valley Venture Fund. The funds four principal investors include Foxconn Technology Group, Advocate Aurora Health, Johnson Controls and Northwest Mutual. These funds will no doubt be used for more Wall Street machinations that will produce little benefit for working people while enhancing the stock portfolios of the bourgeoisie.
The Ukrainian government of President Petro Poroshenko is facing a serious economic crisis as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is demanding ever greater social cuts.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the various oligarchic bourgeois regimes that have ruled the country have accepted IMF funding in exchange for carrying out a series of reforms, such as the privatization of state-owned industries and elimination of government subsidies, all carried out at the expense of the working class.
The current IMF program, under which Ukraine has received only $8.7 billion of a potential $17.5 billion, is scheduled to expire in March of next year. The IMF has not released any funds to the country since April 2017.
The current sticking point is the elimination of household gas subsidies. Any rise in consumer prices would be correctly seen by Ukraines working class as an even further lowering of their already precarious living standards.
After initially agreeing to raise household gas prices, Poroshenko has repeatedly continued a freeze on consumer gas prices and most recently set a new deadline of September 1 for continued government subsidies.
The government argues that without an injection of funds from the IMF, the government may start defaulting on paychecks for government workers. As of July, the country had already begun delaying pension payments to retirees causing widespread dissatisfaction.
Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman blamed the delays on the incompetence of the countrys pension fund managers, rather than any critical drop in the stability of the Poroshenko regime, and promised an investigation.
A significant percentage of Ukraines elderly population relies on monthly pension payments to survive. One of the IMFs other demands is that the country increase the retirement age, which currently stands at 60 for men and 58 for women. Any scheme to cut pensions or adjust the retirement age would be a disaster for the over 8 million pensioners in Ukraine who live on less than $50 a month and millions more preparing to retire.
In October of last year the government attempted to appease the IMF and passed a pension reform bill. The bill cut back on early retirements and increased the number of years workers must contribute to the pension system in order to qualify, but stopped short of raising the retirement age or cutting payments. The move was apparently not enough for the IMF as it nevertheless refused to release any more funds to the country.
The ongoing war in the Donbass the region of the country has already given the government an excuse to cut the pensions of residents in Donbass or to make it extremely difficult for refugees to obtain their payments while living elsewhere in the country. In September of last year, the Norwegian Refugee Council reported that up to 600,000 Ukrainians had lost their pensions since December 2014, most of them elderly residents in areas in eastern Ukraine not controlled by Kiev.
There is also anxiety in Kiev that Russias construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will cut out its position as middle-man in the transit of gas between Russia and Western Europe and deprive it of needed foreign cash. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will connect Russia directly to Germany through the Baltic Sea and is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
Naftogaz, the state-owned gas and oil company of Ukraine, is in large part only profitable thanks to the transit fees it receives from Russia as it sends gas to European countries such as Germany, which obtains 70 percent of its gas from Russia. The current transit arrangement between Russias Gazprom and Naftogaz is set to expire January 1, 2020, just as Nord Stream 2 is to launch.
Any losses from such transit fees would be taken out of the pockets of Ukrainian workers in the form of a rapid hike of gas prices.
Other EU members and most notably the Trump administration have criticized Germany for moving forward with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the midst of their confrontation with Moscow.
Further exacerbating Ukraines fiscal situation is the fact that the Ukrainian government will be facing $15 billion in foreign debt repayments between 2018 and 2020. Even if Ukraine complies with the orders of the IMF, the scheduled influx of $2 billion will simply go to paying off foreign debt rather than into pensions and the paychecks of government workers.
In addition to the demands to ramp up attacks on the working class, the IMF and Western governments constantly harangue Kiev over corruption. A campaign in recent months in the bourgeois press, especially in the US and Germany, has attacked the Poroshenko regime over the pervasive corruption in Ukrainea phenomenon that has characterized the oligarchy there, as in all countries of the former Soviet Union, ever since the destruction of the USSR.
In August, the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that Ukraine loses $4.8 billion a year due to corruption. The country regularly ranks near the bottom in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index.
In response to the criticism, Kiev in July expanded the powers of a recently created sham anti-corruption court, which Poroshenko himself initially opposed but then embraced when IMF cash was not forthcoming. The IMF praised the anti-corruption efforts but flatly refused to budge on releasing any more cash until gas prices are raised to market levels.
Behind the bogus anti-corruption campaign is the concern that the obvious corruption among the Ukrainian oligarchs and their control over much of the Ukrainian economy impede US and German business interests in the country. At the same time, the imperialist powers and the IMF are using the issue to push for further attacks on the already abysmally low living standards of the Ukrainian working class.
The Poroshenko regimes hesitancy in fully implementing the IMF demands is rooted in its fear of an uncontrollable explosion of working class anger. In July, miners from Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine struck over the government failure to pay out more than $107 million promised to support the country's troubled coal mines.
Miners at the mine Kapitalnaya went on strike, demanding that they be paid their salaries from May and June. According to Life.Ru, as of mid-July the government owed the miners over $41.6 million in salary payments. Protests and demonstrations by miners also took place in the Lviv region in West Ukraine and in the capital in Kiev.
In May, workers struck at the western Ukrainian metallurgical factory ArcelorMittal Krivoi Rog, which produces railroad tracks, demanding better working conditions and wages. The average monthly salary in Ukraine is currently around $300. There exists a vast chasm between the countrys ruling oligarchic elite (as of 2015, Poroshenko had a net worth of $720 million) and the Ukrainian working class.
Under these socially explosive conditions, Poroshenko is well aware that his governments obvious servitude to the IMF would likely result in the elimination of his already slim chances for reelection in next years presidential elections.
WORLAND Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has appointed Bobbi Dean Overfield to be District Court judge for the Fifth Judicial District, serving Big Horn, Hot Springs and Washakie counties.
Overfield fills the vacancy that is occurring with the retirement of Judge Robert E. Skar, effective Oct. 2.
Born and raised in Riverton, Overfield is a partner with Michael Messenger in Thermopolis.
She received a law degree, as well as a bachelors degree in rangeland ecology and watershed management, from the University of Wyoming.
She is a graduate of the UW College of Law. She started practicing law in 2002 in Laramie with Corthell and King and moved to Thermopolis in 2005.
She has previously served as a prosecutor, public defender and circuit court magistrate.
Overfield said in an earlier interview, The chance to apply for a district court judge position in your home district is rare. The opportunity to further my legal career and remain in the Big Horn Basin were important factors in my decision to seek the position.
Reacting to her appointment, Overfield said, I am very grateful for the honor Governor Mead has given me to serve as the next district court judge for the Fifth Judicial District. I am looking forward to taking on the challenges of the bench and continuing the legacy left by Judge Skar. I will do my best to serve the people of the Big Horn Basin and promote and preserve the justice system and the rule of law.
Overfield has been certified as a mediator through the State of Wyoming Ag and Natural Resources Program. She has served as a mediator and guardian ad litem in numerous family law situations. She is a member of both the Wyoming and Colorado State Bar, the American Bar Association and is a board member of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association (WTLA). She served on the Executive Board for the WTLA last year and also writes the criminal law summaries for the WTLA publication the Coffeehouse. Outside of her work Overfield is active in the community, previously serving as the president of the Thermopolis Rotary, she participated in Leadership Hot Springs County and served two years as a facilitator for the Parent Leadership Training Institute in Thermopolis and actively volunteers with 4-H. She enjoys spending time with family, her husband Heath, from Cody, and two children.
It is impressive that Bobbi Overfield has spent her entire career serving the legal needs of people in rural areas of Wyoming. Among her strengths, she has a wealth of experience, a steady demeanor, and strong ties to the area, Governor Mead said. Numerous people who have worked with her and known her over the years highly recommended her and that support factored into her selection.
Also nominated were Edward G. Luhm of Worland and Stephen Joseph Darrah of Powell.
WORLAND On Thursday, Washakie County Youth Alternatives Administrator Sheri Gunderson was notified that the county was one of three state recipients of a national DrugFree Communities Support Program grant, awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The $125,000 grant will support the efforts of the Washakie Prevention Coalition (WPC) in preventing and reducing youth substance use in Washakie County. The county will also be able to apply for continuation funding over the next four years, for a total award amount of $625,000 over five years.
The WPC was formed earlier this year, and Gunderson has been applying for the grant since January.
Washakie County Youth Alternatives Program Director Sarah Garcia and Gunderson will coordinate the program in Washakie County, working with the WPC and other community partners. The WPC includes the Office of the County Attorney, local youth leaders, the school district, law enforcement, parents, nonprofits, businesses, health care professionals and others. Its mission is to utilize community-wide collaboration to develop and implement effective strategies for preventing and reducing youth substance abuse in Washakie County.
More than 30 people from multiple organizations came together in a meeting Jan. 18 to form the coalition to join efforts to combat substance abuse in the Worland area.
The Washakie Prevention Coalition began seeking input and grant funding to address substance abuse with the youth, but also the entire community.
Lila Jolley of Washakie County Prevention Organization, said that there has always been a prevention coalition and that Washakie County Attorneys Office Victims Witness Coordinator Bob Vines approached the coalition about the program Community That Cares. At the same time, Washakie County Youth Alternatives, with Sarah Garcia and Sheri Gunderson, was getting ready to apply for the Drug-Free Community program.
Gunderson said the Drug-Free program has similar goals with Community That Cares to bring community-wide efforts to address substance abuse.
The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program originated in 1998, and is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Congress established the SAMHSA in 1992 to make substance use and mental disorder information, services, and research more accessible.
ONDCP Deputy Director James W. Carroll said, Since our first grant awards were made in 1998, the DFC Program has continued to expand its reach in communities across the country. It is a testament to the great work DFC coalitions are doing, together with community partners that include parent groups, schools, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, businesses, and others to prevent drug use and improve the health of communities. Our local DFC coalitions are a key part of this effort because they are relentless in their work to prevent youth from initiating drug use and ultimately, saving more lives.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced an expansion of the program, with DFC grants going to community coalitions in all 50 states.
Today, my administration is providing a record $91 million to support the Drug-Free Communities initiative. Grants will be awarded to more than 730 community groups in all 50 states thats a lot of groups, thats a lot of people impacting more communities than ever before.
While the grant is federal, the program allows each community to determine the best use of funds, in approaching their unique problems with substance abuse.
The grant is primarily for the education, prevention and reduction of substance abuse, said Gunderson.
While the grant is open for five years to Washakie County, the coalition must reapply every year for funding.
Its a very competitive grant, noted Gunderson.
Formerly the director of development for the Lifescape Foundation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Gunderson oversees the grant process for Youth Alternatives, a program that provides at-risk children with educational opportunities to make better life decisions.
Funded largely by federal grants, in addition to county funding, Youth Alternatives offers counseling for self-enrolled juveniles, as well as those court ordered to seek guidance, and specializes in a variety of coursework, from shoplifting counseling to drug and alcohol education and counseling.
A 68-year-old California man was charged with making multiple violent threats against employees of the Boston Globe as it coordinated calls for hundreds of newspapers to write editorials supporting the free press.
The man, Robert Chain of Encino, was charged with one count of making threatening communications in interstate commerce. Federal prosecutors said that he will appear in a Los Angeles court on Thursday and will be transferred to Boston.
The Justice Department said that his threats stem from the Aug. 10 announcement by the Globe calling for papers around the country to editorialize on the importance of a free press amid attacks on the media. Hundreds of newspapers participated on Aug. 16, and many criticized President Donald Trump for his ongoing broadsides against news outlets.
The DOJ claims that Chain made 14 threatening phone calls to the Globe, between Aug. 10 and 22, and referred to the paper as the the enemy of the people and threatened to kill newsroom employees. On the day of the editorials, he called the Globe newsroom and threatened to shoot employees in the head later today, at 4 oclock, prosecutors claim. After that call, local law enforcement maintained a presence outside the Globes building.
Trump has referred to the fake news media as the enemy of the people, including in a tweet he posted on Thursday.
I just cannot state strongly enough how totally dishonest much of the Media is. Truth doesnt matter to them, they only have their hatred & agenda. This includes fake books, which come out about me all the time, always anonymous sources, and are pure fiction. Enemy of the People! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2018
As rhetoric has escalated against the news media, White House correspondents have expressed concern of violence against reporters, particularly at Trumps rallies.
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The DOJ said that the charge against Chain provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
Anyone regardless of political affiliation who puts others in fear for their lives will be prosecuted by this office, said U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. In a time of increasing political polarization, and amid the increasing incidence of mass shootings, members of the public must police their own political rhetoric. Or we will.
On June 28, a man opened fire in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, killing five people. The assailant, Jarrod W. Ramos, had had a long dispute with the paper over its coverage of allegations that he harassed a former high school classmate.
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An unnamed man on Tuesday night came forward claiming to have been a former lover of triple-murder suspect Chris Watts, who is accused of killing his pregnant wife, 34-year-old Shanann Watts, and their two young daughters in their Frederick, Colorado, home earlier this month.
The man whose name and face were not shown described the purported relationship in an interview on HLNs Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield.
The man said he was not the co-worker with whom Chris, 33, was allegedly cheating on his wife at the time of the three slayings.
A motive in the murder case has not been confirmed as allegations of Chris infidelity draw greater scrutiny. Those who know the Watts have described a seemingly happy union possibly beset by mounting tension.
Its beyond belief, really, friend Kris Landon told PEOPLE. And it makes you wonder about other people you know. If this couple who seemed so perfect was like this, what are the other couples like?
The man told HLN that he and Chris were allegedly in an approximately 10-month relationship after meeting online last June. They saw each other off and on through the spring, ending things in March or April, the man said.
The unidentified mans story has not yet been independently corroborated by news outlets, including PEOPLE, but his account of an alleged relationship with Chris does contain details about Chris life that are not readily available online and in public documents. Identifying information about Chris truck and his home matches PEOPLEs reporting.
A source close the investigation tells PEOPLE that Chris has had relationships with both men and women outside of his marriage.
RELATED: Chris Watts Was Emotionless After Murder Arrest, Source Says Like He Couldnt Be Bothered
BREAKING: A man who claims to be a FORMER LOVER of Chris Watts is speaking out on the accused killers past in an exclusive interview! pic.twitter.com/9Ac94nQAOg Crime & Justice (@CrimeJusticeHLN) August 28, 2018
From left: Chris and Shan'ann Watts
While one friend told PEOPLE that Chris appeared to be a selfless father, a friend of Shananns told ABC News that he had grown distant before his wife was killed: He wasnt touching or hugging or doing stuff like that.
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A family friend echoed that, previously telling PEOPLE that Chris and Shanann were having marital problems before the killings.
Speaking on HLN on Tuesday, Chris alleged lover said that You never really know someone and you never really know what someone is capable of.
The way he [Chris] portrayed himself, as this victim, and the way he just made me feel empathy for him for living this life and living this lie and going through all this [he] told me that if it were to ever come out that he would be shunned and he wouldnt be allowed to see his girls, the man said.
RELATED: Shanann Watts Beat Odds to Have Kids Despite Lupus and Was So Excited About It
The Watts family
The man contended that Chris had told him he had children but otherwise acted as though he was single. The man said he learned about Chris wife in January or February, when Chris brought his daughters along with him on an outing and 4-year-old Bella asked if she could sleep in her parents bed that night.
Sociopaths can easily lead two different lives and feel two different emotions, the man said, and he [Chris] could have been telling me what I wanted to hear or what he thought I wanted to hear.
Chris was arrested on Aug. 15 and has been charged with first-degree murder, among other crimes, in the deaths of his wife and daughters.
They were reported missing on Aug. 13 and their bodies were found on the property of Chris former employer Anadarko Petroleum not long after he was taken into custody. Anadarko fired Chris the same day as his arrest.
Under police questioning after investigators revealed they had discovered Chris affair with a co-worker which he had denied he confessed to killing Shanann, according to allegations in an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. (The affidavit does not further identify Chris co-worker.)
RELATED VIDEO: Pregnant Mom & 2 Daughters Killed at Home Allegedly by Husband Before Bodies Were Dumped
However, the affidavit shows, Chris allegedly said he only strangled his wife after watching her kill 3-year-old daughter Celeste when he told her he wanted to separate.
Chris claimed that at the same time he saw Bella apparently lifeless nearby, according to the affidavit. Then he went into a rage and killed Shanann, later hiding all three bodies at an oil work site, he said.
RELATED: Chris Watts Defense Might Try to Blame Slain Wife for Killing Girls, Legal Expert Says
A source close to the investigation disputed Chris defense and, in charging him with murder, prosecutors have also dismissed his explanation.
There is absolutely no evidence that she killed her children, the source tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue. None at all. And there is physical evidence to tie him to their murders. Strangulation is a very personal way to kill someone, with a lot of physical contact.
Chris has not yet entered a plea. His lawyer did not respond to PEOPLEs requests for comment but, according to a statement from the states public defenders office, their attorneys are barred from discussing ongoing criminal cases.
President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on technology companies today, saying theyre trying to silence people and suggesting that may somehow be illegal.
Google and Facebook and Twitter treat conservatives and Republicans very unfairly, Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
I think its a very serious problem because theyre really trying to silence a very large part of this country, and those people dont want to be silenced, he said in remarks reported by Reuters. Its not right. Its not fair. It may not be legal, but well see. We want fairness.
The comments continue a line of attack Trump launched earlier this week, when he accused Google of biasing its search results in favor of news outlets that have looked critically at his administration.
Google search results for Trump News shows only the viewing/reporting of Fake New Media, Trump said on Twitter on Tuesday morning. In other words, they have it RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD. Fake CNN is prominent.
Conservatives have amped up their campaign against Silicon Valley companies since Apple, Facebook and Googles YouTube removed right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from their platforms.
Jones appealed to Trump to make the tech industry censorship a campaign issue in the 2018 elections.
If you come out before the midterms and make the censorship the big issue of them trying to steal the election. And if you make the fact we need an Internet Bill of Rights, and antitrust-busting on these companies, if they dont back off right now, Jones said, according to a Media Matters transcript of his remarks earlier this month.
The White Houses allegations of anti-conservative bias will likely be raised anew, as representatives of the largest internet companies appear at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing next week about efforts to prevent foreign meddling ahead of the midterm elections. Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are scheduled to testify.
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Facebook is confronting similar criticism within its own ranks. A senior Facebook engineer posted a critique of the social network on an internal message board, claiming we are a political monoculture thats intolerant of different views, the New York Times reported earlier today.
According to the NYT, that post led to the formation of an online group, FBers for Political Diversity, to promote ideological diversity within the companys predominantly liberal workplace culture.
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Google said it has terminated dozens of YouTube channels and other accounts spreading misinformation on behalf of the Irans state-owned broadcaster.
The announcement marks the third time this week that a major technology company has shut down abuse of its platform by foreign actors.
Google said it terminated 39 YouTube channels, 13 Google+ accounts and six blogs on Blogger that were linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The YouTube channels reached about 13,466 viewers in the U.S.
Actors engaged in this type of influence operation violate our policies, and we swiftly remove such content from our services and terminate these actors accounts, wrote Kent Walker, Googles senior vice president of global affairs.
In this case, Googles own Threat Analysis Group, working together with the Alphabet-incubated security firm Jigsaw, and independent cybersecurity firm FireEye, to identify the influence operation tied to Iran. FireEye flagged some suspicious Google accounts, which Google said it swiftly disabled. Google said its teams investigated a broader range of suspicious actors tied to Iran, and provided information to U.S. lawmakers and law enforcement.
Earlier this week, Facebook announced it had disabled 652 pages and accounts that had been flagged for inauthentic behavior, targeting the Middle East, U.K., Latin America and the U.S. State-owned media in Iran was tied to several of these accounts, spreading anti-Israeli, anti-Saudi and pro-Palestinian themes. Russian propagandists were also involved.
Twitter suspended 284 accounts for engaging in coordinated manipulation which also appeared to have originated from Iran.
Broadly speaking, the intent behind this activity appears to be to promote Iranian political interests, including anti-Saudi, anti-Israeli, and pro-Palestinian themes, as well as to promote support for specific U.S. policies favorable to Iran, such as the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), FireEye said in a report published today. In the context of the U.S.-focused activity, this also includes significant anti-Trump messaging and the alignment of social media personas with an American liberal identity.
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FireEye said it found inauthentic social media personas masquerading as American liberals supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, that were heavily promoting Quds Day, a holiday established by Iran in 1979 to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israel, which takes place on the last day of Ramadan.
The activity we have uncovered highlights that multiple actors continue to engage in and experiment with online, social media-driven influence operations as a means of shaping political discourse, FireEye said in its report. These operations extend well beyond those conducted by Russia.
Alex Stamos, an adjunct professor at Stanford University who until recently served as Facebooks chief security officer, predicted these influence campaigns may be the disturbing new normal in part because of Americas sclerotic response to initial reports of Russias misinformation and cyber-warfare campaign.
The revelations are evidence that Russia has not been deterred and that Iran is following in its footsteps, Stamos wrote in a post Wednesday on Lawfare, after Facebook reported a fresh round of account deletions. This underlines a sobering reality: Americas adversaries believe that it is still both safe and effective to attack U.S. democracy using American technologies and the freedoms we cherish.
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Man invokes 'enemy of the people' in threats of violence against newspaper originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A California man was arrested Thursday and charged with making a series of violent threats to employees at the Boston Globe in retaliation for the newspaper's editorial campaign against political attacks on the news media by President Donald Trump and others, officials said.
Robert D. Chain, 68, of Encino, California, was taken into custody on one count making threatening communications in interstate commerce, according to officials at the U.S. Department of Justice.
In one threat the newspaper received on Aug. 22, Chain allegedly stated that his threats would continue "as long as you keep attacking the President, the duly elected President of the United States, in the continuation of your treasonous and seditious acts...," according to a nine-page criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
PHOTO: A customer walks past the front page of the Boston Globe newspaper referencing their editorial defense of press freedom at a newsstand in Cambridge, Aug. 16, 2018. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
Everyone has a right to express their opinion, but threatening to kill people takes it over the line and will not be tolerated, Harold Shaw, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston Division, said in a statement. "Today's arrest of Robert Chain should serve a warning to others, that making threats is not a prank, it's a federal crime."
"All threats are taken seriously, as we never know if the subject behind the threat intends to follow through with their actions."
Andrew Lelling, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, reiterated Shaw's warnings in his own statement.
In a time of increasing political polarization, and amid the increasing incidence of mass shootings, members of the public must police their own political rhetoric," Lelling said in the statement. "Or we will.
(MORE: Trump calls out news networks for 'hatred and extreme bias')
In threatening calls to the Globe newsroom, Chain -- according to the federal complaint -- allegedly referred to the newspaper's employees as the "enemy of the people," a phrase President Trump has used at political rallies and tweets, including one posted Thursday morning.
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PHOTO: The new location of the Boston Globe at 53 State Street, Boston, at one Exchange Place in the Exchange Building on Aug. 15, 2018. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images)
I just cannot state strongly enough how totally dishonest much of the Media is. Truth doesnt matter to them, they only have their hatred & agenda. This includes fake books, which come out about me all the time, always anonymous sources, and are pure fiction. Enemy of the People! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2018
Chain allegedly made a total of 14 threatening and expletive-laced phone calls to the Globe newsroom between Aug. 10 and Aug. 22, saying he was going to shoot employees in the head.
Chain owns several firearms, according to the complaint, including a new 9mm carbine rifle purchased last May.
(MORE: Trump defends Tiger Woods from 'fake news media: 'He is very smart')
In one menacing call made to the newsroom on Aug. 16, Chain said he was going to carry out an attack on the newspaper at 4 p.m., the complaint alleged.
The threat was reported to the Boston Police Department and as a result, extra patrol officers were stationed outside the Globe's office building.
"We are grateful to the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Boston Police, and local authorities in California for the work they did in protecting the Globe while threats were coming in, for investigating the source, and for making this arrest. We couldn't have asked for a stronger response," Jane Bowman, a spokeswoman for the Globe, said in a statement Thursday.
Bowman added: "While it was unsettling for many of our staffers to be threatened in such a way, nobody -- really, nobody -- let it get in the way of the important work of this institution."
On Aug. 10, Globe officials announced that the newspaper was spearheading an editorial response to political attacks on the media and encouraged other news organizations to participate. More than 400 news organizations around the country participated in the effort.
"A central pillar of President Trump's politics is a sustained assault on the free press," the Globe stated in an Aug. 15 editorial. "Journalists are not classified as fellow Americans, but rather 'the enemy of the people.' This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country liberal and conservative, large and small to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words."
Within hours of the federal complaint against Chain being unsealed on Thursday morning, the president repeated his attacks on the media, tweeting, "I just cannot state strongly enough how totally dishonest much of the Media is. Truth doesn't matter to them, they only have their hatred & agenda. This includes fake books, which come out about me all the time, always anonymous sources, and are pure fiction. Enemy of the People!"
Chain is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.
The fight for Donald Trumps tax returns is heating up -- again originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
From Congress to the courts, Democrats are seeking to capitalize on efforts to bring President Trumps tax returns into public view, hoping the documents could shed fresh light on possible conflicts of interest, foreign business deals and even the Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.
Questions about Trumps refusal to release his tax returns have followed the president from the campaign trail to the Oval Office and reemerged in force last week as a pair of Trumps closest former aides - his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his former personal attorney Michael Cohen - confronted serious tax fraud charges that will likely land both of them behind bars.
Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who sponsored legislation last year to require all sitting presidents to release their most recent three years of tax returns, says Trumps tax returns are of vital public interest.
Trumps tax returns will deliver honest answers to key questions from the American public, Wyden said.
PHOTO: Senator Ron Wyden asks a question during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 22, 2018. (Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)
Trump was the first major party candidate in four decades to refuse to disclose his tax returns. When his refusal sparked controversy, he agreed to release the records, but only after an audit.
"Tax experts throughout the media agree that no sane person would give their tax returns during an audit," Trump wrote on Twitter in February of 2016. "After the audit, no problem!"
But Trump appears to have reversed his position after the election, and his top aides have deflected questions about the issue.
We litigated this all through the election, Trumps senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told ABC News on This Week with George Stephanopoulos when asked about the prospect of Trump releasing his tax returns. People didn't care.
Last weeks courtroom developments have further emboldened Trumps political rivals.
PHOTO: Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, leaves federal court after reaching a plea agreement in New York City, Aug. 21, 2018. (Craig Ruttle/AP)
Manafort was found guilty of tax fraud and other financial crimes unrelated to his work for the Trump campaign, while Cohen pleaded guilty to tax fraud and campaign finance violations. In the Cohen matter, the Trump Organizations longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, was granted immunity by federal prosecutors.
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Trump said Manaforts conviction doesn't involve me but it's a very sad thing, and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said Cohens guilty plea contains no allegation of wrongdoing on the part of the president.
But Democrats said they see a concerning pattern of behavior and business culture around Trump that they think warrants further examination.
Rep. Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat, told ABC News he believes the recent trials have only increased the need for Congress to review the president's financial records.
"Im not a tax expert, but to me, it raised the stakes, Pascrell told ABC News. No question about it.
The White House did not respond to ABC News request for comment.
PHOTO: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his family (L-R) son Donald Trump Jr, son Eric Trummp, wife Melania Trump and daughters Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump at the new Trump International Hotel, Oct. 26, 2016, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE)
Wydens legislative proposal has made little headway in the Republican-controlled Congress, but there are a number of other efforts - namely criminal probes and civil cases - that could force Trump to turn over the records to investigators or file them to the court during the discovery process where Democrats see an opportunity.
Earlier this month, New York state officials launched a probe into the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which they allege has violated tax laws. In any investigation involving the presidents finances and transactions, investigators could seek to review his tax returns, though sources told ABC News that state officials have not yet done so.
In June, New York States highest court rejected Trumps third appeal to delay or dismiss a defamation case brought by Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice who alleges that Trump kissed and groped her without her consent in 2007. Zervoss attorneys have expressed an interest in looking at whether there are similar claims by other women, and that could prompt their interest in asking a judge for permission to review his financial records, but sources told ABC News that Trumps legal team would fight any such request as irrelevant to the case.
Other cases, Democrats say, hold more promise. Last year, attorneys general in Maryland and D.C. filed a lawsuit focused on a constitutional question about the presidents financial stake in a Washington, D.C., hotel and the potential for him to receive payments from foreign officials while holding high office. That case crossed a pivotal hurdle this summer when a judge allowed the case to move forward, which could allow the plaintiffs to request copies of Trumps financial records, including his tax returns.
It would not be surprising to see the team ask for records that show the presidents income, a source familiar with the case told ABC News. Those would obviously include tax returns.
PHOTO: In this file photo is a general view of the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. at the Old Post Office, Oct. 31, 2016, in Washington D.C. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images)
But according to Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the fastest path to obtaining Trumps tax returns is most likely through Congress.
Both the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have the authority to obtain copies of tax returns directly from the IRS as part of their oversight authority, and Democrats could seize control of either body in the upcoming midterm elections.
If Congress develops an interest in performing real oversight over this administration at some point in the near future, Bookbinder said, it is reasonable to assume they will act on this authority.
Pascrell, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said obtaining Trump's returns detailing his sprawling business interests will remain a top priority should Democrats retake the House.
"What the hell are we there for?" Pascrell said of Congress. "We have an obligation to look at [the returns]."
Wyden, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee, and his aides did not rule out the possibility that he would make such a request if Democrats ever gain control of the Senate. But Wyden aides said the senator would much prefer that Congress simply act on his proposed legislation to require all presidents make their tax returns public.
It's clear, however, that he feels the questions surrounding Manafort, Cohen and Trump share a common denominator.
FOLLOWING THE MONEY brought down @realDonaldTrumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Wyden wrote on Twitter last week. To uncover the whole truth, we must #followthemoney.
Manafort seeks to move upcoming trial out of Washington originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Attorneys for Paul Manafort on Wednesday sought to move his upcoming trial down to Roanoke, Virginia, citing the "unrelenting news coverage" that their clients legal woes have garnered in the nation's capital.
"While federal courts often address issues of pretrial publicity in high-profile cases, it is difficult to conceive of a matter that has received media attention of the same magnitude as the prosecution of Mr. Manafort," his lawyers wrote in a court filing.
Special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors have targeted Manafort with seven counts of obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and foreign lobbying violations in their second case against the former Trump campaign chairman, which is expected to begin in Washington, D.C., next month.
Jury selection in that trial is set to begin September 17 and opening statements are slated for September 24.
Manafort has pleaded not guilty.
MORE: At defense's request, judge pushes back second Manafort trial one week
"While this matter has received national media attention, the coverage, and the degree to which the public has followed that coverage, has been most intense in and around Washington, D.C.," Manaforts attorneys argued, adding that Roanoke represents a venue where the media coverage is substantially less than in the D.C. metropolitan area.
Manaforts legal team expressed concern over political dynamics in Washington, D.C., as well, drawing attention to 2016 presidential election results in the District of Columbia, which Hillary Clinton overwhelmingly won.
It is not a stretch to expect that voters who supported Secretary Clinton would be predisposed against Mr. Manafort or that voters who supported President Trump would be less inclined toward the Special Counsel. Notably, however, voters in Washington, D.C., voted in favor of Secretary Clinton, Manaforts lawyers wrote, adding, This split is more balanced in other places such as Roanoke, Virginia.
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In court on Tuesday, federal District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing the special counsels Washington case against Manafort, expressed skepticism at the suggestion from Manafort's team that this second trial should be moved out of Washington, D.C.
Manafort's defense counsel tried unsuccessfully to move his Alexandria, Virginia, case down to Roanoke ahead of the first trial, too.
The Alexandria, Virginia-based jury found Manafort guilty on eight counts of tax and bank fraud last week, but could not agree on ten more counts of bank fraud conspiracy and foreign bank account violations.
Sentencing for that conviction is expected to take place December 12.
Mystery woman who rang doorbell found safe after police find death and domestic violence originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The mystery of a partially-dressed woman who rang the doorbell of a Texas home in the dead of night and disappeared took a sordid turn on Wednesday when it led police to a scene of violence and death.
The woman from the video was subjected to domestic violence but is now safe, police said, five days after she was caught on the surveillance camera ringing the doorbell of a house.
From the day the video went viral, concerned people the world over were hooked to the hunt for the woman's identity and for clues to her story.
Police said they arrived at a house on Wednesday in response to a call about a man threatening to kill himself, and found the womans 49-year-old boyfriend lying dead of a gunshot wound.
The death is believed to be suicide, police said.
The 32-year-old woman was mentioned in his suicide note but was not on the scene, officials stated.
PHOTO: Police say the mystery woman seen on video has been located. (Montgomery County Sheriff)
Authorities were still in the dark about what may have been the most disturbing part of the video something that appeared to be broken restraints on both her wrists.
"There are some issues obviously with the video surveillance and why she was wearing those restraints and the circumstances surrounding it," Lieutenant Scott Spencer of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. "She is currently outside Montgomery County and our investigators will be meeting with her to continue the investigation."
The house was in Sunrise Ranch, the same neighborhood as the one whose doorbell the woman had tried to ring. A resident who lives in the area, but does not wish to be identified, told ABC News that the woman had rung the doorbell of several different neighbors, but by the time they answered their doors, she had disappeared.
In the 7-second video that was shared over 32,000 times and received more than 8,600 comments as of Wednesday night from people from as far as the United Kingdom, the woman can be seen emerging from behind a bush next to the house, barefoot and wearing only a T-shirt, with unknown items dangling from both of her wrists.
Sam Patten, Manafort associate, pleads guilty in case referred by Mueller originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Federal prosecutors on Friday targeted a veteran Republican lobbyist in a case referred by special counsel Robert Mueller, landing a guilty plea and cooperation from the political operative who illegally purchase tickets to President Trumps inauguration on behalf of a foreign client, according to court papers.
The lobbyist, Sam Patten, pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of a foreign principal, to wit, the Opposition Bloc (a Ukrainian political party) and its members, without registering as a foreign lobbyist, according to court documents filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, DC.
As part of his plea agreement, Patten, 47, signed on to cooperate as a witness for the special counsels investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election, becoming the latest figure to fall under Muellers probe.
Pattens cooperation with Mueller could be critical, given the longtime operatives connections in the nations capital and around the world, including Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, and Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian national who was indicted in June.
MORE: Manafort hit with indictment for conspiracy to obstruct justice; former associate charged
Manafort was recently convicted of eight counts of financial crimes in a federal case brought by Mueller's team. Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, said his client was "disappointed" with the verdict and "weighing his options."
Kilimnik has not entered a plea.
Prosecutors say Patten, who could face five years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000 used a straw purchaser to secure tickets to President Trumps inauguration in January of 2017, circumventing rules about the inauguration committee accepting money from foreigners.
Patten, through the Ukrainian oligarch for whom he worked, paid $50,000 for four tickets to the inauguration, the documents say.
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He then "misled" the Senate Intelligence Committee about the inauguration ticket purchase in January 2018, leading the panel to issue a separate criminal referral to the Department of Justice, according to court documents filed Friday.
According to prosecutors, Patten launched a lobbying firm with an unnamed Russian national in 2015 and began working on behalf of the Ukraines Opposition Bloc - a group for whom Manafort also lobbied - travelling frequently to Ukraine and accepting payments through an offshore account in Cyprus, as Manafort had.
As part of his work for the Ukrainians, Patten contacted and attempted to meet with members of Congress and their staff in an effort to promote the interests of his clients in Ukraine, according to court documents.
Leaders from both parties mourn McCain at Capitol originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
As Sen. John McCains casket was brought into the U.S. Capitol Rotunda Friday, Republican and Democratic colleagues of past and present stood in silence as he entered the iconic building where he made his legacy one final time.
I will miss a dear friend whose smile reminded us that service is a privilege and whose scars reminded us of the great cost that brave souls pay for our freedom, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
McConnell thanked McCains family, including his 106-year-old mother, Roberta, who was also in attendance.
The flag-draped casket of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is carried by an Armed Forces body bearer team to a hearse, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (AP)
On behalf of the Senate and the entire nation -- thank you, McConnell said. Thank you for lending him to us longer than we had a right. Thank you for supporting him while he supported us.
While McCain was a steadfast Republican, he didnt always see eye to eye with his GOP colleagues.
Last year, he famously helped tank the Republican-led effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature healthcare law.
McCain made the iconic thumbs down motion during a Senate floor vote in the middle of the night, while McConnell stood by, arms crossed and head down, looking defeated.
PHOTO: Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan speaks as former Senator John McCain lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda at the Capitol, in Washington, on Aug. 31, 2018. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
He treated every issue with the intensity the peoples business deserves, McConnell remembered. He would fight tooth and nail for his vision of the common good. Depending on the issue, you knew John would either be your staunchest ally or your most stubborn opponent.
House Speaker Paul Ryan remembered McCain as a man who "relished the fight," and spoke of his strength in times of difficult circumstances.
He quoted Ernest Hemingway, one of McCain's favorite authors, saying, The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.
"No one was stronger at the broken places than John McCain," Ryan continued. "The brokenness was his ballast. He never lost the joy that time can dull or the edge that political life so often sands away."
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Ryan added: "I myself was, from time to time, on the receiving end of Johns distinct brand of candor."
PHOTO: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky watch as a wreath is placed at the casket of the late US Senator John McCain as he lies in state in the Rotunda of the Capitol, Aug. 31, 2018 in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AFP/Getty Images)
Vice President Mike Pence was also in attendance, but President Donald Trump was not invited to attend any of the events celebrating McCain's life throughout the course of the week.
"The president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation to pay a debt of honor and respect to a man who served our country throughout his life, in uniform and in public office," Pence said. "It's my great honor to be here."
Several members of the Trump administration were also in attendance, including White House chief of staff John Kelly and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Following McCain's service in the Capitol Rotunda, his widow, Cindy, was escorted to the Senate floor by McCain's best friend, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Republican.
Graham led her to her late husband's desk in the Senate chamber, which has been draped in black velvet since his death, with a vase of white roses resting on top.
As she sat at her husband's desk, Graham, whose desk is right next to McCain's, also took a seat. The two chatted briefly, according to an aide to the late senator.
Before they left the chamber, Graham pulled two white roses from the vase and handed them to her.
Later, Cindy McCain and her children met privately with staffers and aides to the senator, including staffers who work for the Senate Armed Services Committee, which McCain chaired.
She and her children thanked her husband's team for their years of dedicated service.
There were multiple rounds of applause, including some raucous laughter.
The Capitol Rotunda will remain open throughout the day so that the public can pay their respects. The United States Capitol Police honor guard will protect McCain's casket throughout the night.
SLIDESHOW: Senator John McCain through the years
On Saturday, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama will eulogize the late senator at a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral. On Sunday, the senator will be laid to rest in a private burial service at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland.
Half a world away, wearing our nations uniform, John McCain stood up for every value that this Capitol Building represents," McConnell said during the service. "Then, he brought that same patriotism inside its walls -- to advocate for our servicemembers, our veterans, and our moral leadership in the world."
So it is only right that today, near the end of his long journey, John lies here."
I spent a lot of my childhood on a plane flying to see my family in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, or driving several hours out of Queens, New York to see my relatives in Massachusetts. Traveling has always been normal to me, and an exciting trip to Poland during graduate school confirmed that my love for travel isnt going anywhere. So as Ive gotten older, Ive started thinking about ways to budget money so I can travel more often.
To learn how to save up for trips and travel abroad on a budget, I joined a few travel groups on Facebook, most of which were specifically for women who wanted to travel. I felt empowered seeing so many women honestly discussing how finances make it difficult for them to travel and sharing how theyve budgeted money.
Then Hurricane Maria hit the Caribbeana natural disaster that killed thousands of people in Puerto Rico, and that the island is still recovering from almost a year later.
I was already nervous for my family in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic when the first hurricane hit. There were power outages that sometimes made it hard to call relativesbut then Maria hit the island and I couldnt contact any of my family at all. I sent out several messages on Facebook and didnt receive responses for days. Meanwhile, the few images coming out of Puerto Rico depicted floods, destroyed houses, and fallen trees. I didnt know if my relatives were alive.
I cried for hours.
My desperation to know if my family had survived turned into rage when I saw how many women in the travel groups posted about being annoyed that, because of Hurricane Maria, they could no longer travel to the Caribbean for vacation.
Many of us in the group who are from Caribbean families replied. We said that we couldnt believe someone actually dedicated an entire post to not being able to go on vacation in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.
It hurt to see how the aftermath of the hurricane was disregarded by these travelers Id previously felt a connection withespecially as the United States government also disregarded aid for Puerto Rico. I then angrily wrote an article for Wear Your Voice Magazine reminding people that while, yes, the Caribbean is a popular vacation destination, people live there. There is an entire culture separate from tourism. People, including many of my family members, go to work, go to school, and raise families in the Caribbean. And I almost lost them.
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On August 28th, the Puerto Rican government finally recognized the thousands of people who had lost their lives, updating the Hurricane Maria death toll to 2,975 people. But back in May, a Harvard study had already estimated that more than 4,600 people in Puerto Rico had died as a result of the hurricane. The women posting in that travel group had to know this. I didnt want long, detailed posts about the loss of lifejust some perspective and sensitivity; an acknowledgement that several communities wereand still arein mourning; an understanding of the fact that this tragedy is more devastating than non-refundable plane tickets.
I thought of the time an uncle on my moms side became angry with a group of tourists at an airport in the Dominican Republic. The tourists were loud and drunk, spilling their open drinks everywhere. My uncle asked them if they would dare do that in their own country.
They had the audacity to say nothat they were on vacation and just wanted to have fun, my uncle told me.
He gets furious every time he thinks about how people treat the Caribbean and other tropical regions as things they can use and throw away. When I saw those insensitive posts about Puerto Rico, I was reminded of our conversations.
Since then, Ive noticed many more tone-deaf and ignorant posts in the group. One woman of color from the U.K. had expressed her fears of traveling to the United States due to the political climate under Trump. I just want to know if Im going to be safe, she wrote. A lot of minority women, myself included, gave her tips: clapbacks in case she hears nasty remarks during her travels, suggestions for diverse cities to visit, etc. Other group members commented that we were all exaggerating, that everywhere in America is safe. Many women of color in the group explained, over and over, that, no, different people are going to have different experiences.
Racism isnt that big of a deal, I remember a commenter responding. I mean, its just mean words.
Again, so many women of color in the group explained that, sometimes, its more than ugly words. Its someone calling the police. Its someone screaming threats. Its physical violence. Not everyone who travels gets to feel the same amount of safety. Group moderators eventually had to close the comments on that post, delete offensive replies, and even remind people that the whole point of the group is discussing travelnot dismissing other peoples experiences.
These kinds of conversations have nearly turned me off to travel groups completely. I know there are many supportive groups on social media that actually provide helpful advice on ways to save, hostels to visit, suitcases to consider, and places to meet people abroad. There are groups with important posts about how to avoid places that exploit animals and how to disengage from voluntourism that hurts vulnerable people. I dont want to leave those social media groups, but, unfortunately, some group members dont actually want to understand perspectives and experiences different from their own. It feels inaccuratecringeworthy, even to call those members worldly because theyve traveled abroad, when theyve posted such ignorant ideas.
I want people to travel freely. I love meeting people who have traveled to N.Y.C., where I live, or who have visited where my family is from in the Caribbean. It makes me happy to hear how much they enjoyed our culture. But people need to remember that travel is a privilege. They need to be mindful of the fact that our identities prevent us from experiencing certain countries with the same ease. Maybe one day we will, but thats not the current reality. Until then, when you travel, be thoughtful, be respectful of the people who actually live where you vacation, and be aware that we dont all see the world the same way.
Harare (AFP) - The World Food Programme warned on Friday that 1.1 million Zimbabweans could need food aid before the next harvest in 2019, with rural smallholders most at risk of food shortages.
Growing food prices and the country's dire economic state could also affect those living in urban areas, the UN food agency added.
"WFP plans to address the most urgent food security needs of 1,135,500 people during the peak of the 2018-19 lean season," said the agency's Zimbabwe spokeswoman Ashley Baxstrom in a statement.
"Vulnerable groups are always disproportionately affected by adverse conditions (and) shocks."
The WFP said that $71.2 million (61.1 million euros) would be needed for the planned response, with $22 million already raised -- largely from USAID.
The WFP's warning follows a report by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network which said poor families in arid areas of Zimbabwe are running out of food.
"These food security outcomes are expected to persist through March 2019," said the network on its website.
Livestock conditions were also deteriorating across the country due to water shortages and poor pasture, it added.
Zimbabwe is battling an economic crisis that includes cash shortages, high unemployment and lack of investment which has caused the cost of imported food to soar.
Newly-inaugurated President Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to fix the country's economy after he was sworn-in last week following elections, the results of which were disputed by the main opposition party.
Imagine traveling the world without spending a dime on expensive flights and hotels. While it may seem like a dream, savvy travel hackers Chad and Hannah Janis accrued 2 million credit cards points, quit their jobs, and have set off on an eight-month adventure to 40 countries for free.
The Janises have been travel hacking for several years, and started after Chad scored a free flight for a job interview. Since then, theyve used their points to fly to South Africa for just $72, Iceland for free, and spots around the U.S. for just $11.
Once they moved to New York, Chad wanted to take their travel hacking to the next level.
Weve been doing travel hacking for a while, and when we came out to New York, we had this idea of, lets try and get as many points as we can and then book an around-the-world ticket and see how far it takes us, he says.
While it sounds spur of the moment, Hannah says she needed to warm up to the idea in the beginning.
At first I was like, I dont know if thats going to work out, but then, I thought, we can take more time because we have the opportunity, Hannah says. We have more time than money, so in the end, I was ready for it.
Over the past year, theyve opened up 26 credit cards, keeping track of minimum spends on a master spreadsheet. Once they spend enough to get the sign up bonus, they score tens of thousands of points they can redeem for flights and hotels around the world.
Theyve turned this hobby and that master spreadsheet into a website, Wall Street Minimalist, which offers travel hacking advice, and helps their users find the best credit cards to maximize points for free flights and hotel deals.
Want to travel like Chad and Hannah? Here are their travel hacks:
Pay attention to credit card bonuses
The Janises biggest travel hack is paying attention to sign-up bonuses. As long as they spend a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time, theyre rewarded with thousands of points.
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We had to think about how much money we were going to spend on normal everyday living and how could that transfer to everyday credit card usage, Chad says.
Their favorite credit card for beginners is the Citi Thankyou Preferred Card, which can help build your credit score and earn rewards before you expand into higher earning options.
Plan your destination first
The Janises recommend deciding on your destination first, instead of letting the points dictate where you want to go. Doing the research on routes and rates will help you find a credit card that can pay for your trip.
Well go get the card that earns towards that airline and book for free, Chad explains.
Knowing whats actually a good deal for your points is simple, according to what Chad calls his Golden Rule.
When were looking to book a trip, we always look at the point value. If its less than a penny per point, were not going to do it, he says.
Live intentionally to save
While the Janises have saved more than $64,000 by using points, theyve also saved close to 40% of their incomes over the last year by living minimally and spending intentionally.
Lets be honest there are not enough credit cards to get a whole year of free flights and hotel stays, Chad says. Weve also saved and spent intentionally on what we know we need, and then the rest goes into savings.
That means creating capsule wardrobes to avoid buying new clothes, and living without a kitchen table or TV in their NYC apartment.
Its rewarding because I know where that money is going to go, Hannah says. We have so many exciting things lined up, so we can let go of these things so we can have this year together.
Want more travel hacks? Visit their website and follow along with their travels on their Youtube and Instagram channels, @HannahandChad.
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Tomas Baker and Naomi Rees (South Wales Police)
The family of a missing teenage girl have pleaded for their daughter to come home.
Naomi Rees, 15, is being hunted by police across the UK and is believed to be with an older man.
Her parents, Peter and Grace Rees, urged their daughter to return home on Friday, and encouraged 20-year-old Tomas Baker, the man believed to be with their daughter, to help.
Speaking from their family home in Rhydfelin, Pontypridd, Mr Rees said: I hope he (Baker) can do the right thing.
If he is a decent guy he would realise how much this family is hurting and he would ensure she gets home to us.
Naomi has been missing for more than a fortnight (South Wales Police)
Mrs Rees said: This is not Naomi. She is a very caring girl. She loves people and is very trusting.
Right now, all we talk about, all we breathe is Naomi. Naomi, like her two sisters, is our world. We love her so much. It is so hard. We want her home.
In a direct plea to Naomi, she added: Naomi, please come home. It does not matter what has gone on.
We love you so much. Just come to us, come back home.
We are here, we are waiting and we will never give up on you our arms are always open.
Wherever you are now, you know how much you mean to us so please find a way to get back to us.
Mum loves you. Dad loves you. Your sisters are in bits. We cannot carry on like this.
Your nanny, your friends, everybody is just rallying around wanting to know how you are. We want to be able to tell them you are OK.
Naomis parents, Grace and Peter Rees, have pleaded to their daughter to return home (South Wales Police)
Naomi has been missing since Wednesday, August 15, and is believed to be with Mr Baker, from Tamworth, Staffordshire.
CCTV footage shows Naomi getting on a bus on Cardiff Road in Rhydyfelin at 7.46am and heading towards Pontypridd town centre on the day she was last seen.
Further CCTV footage then puts Naomi on Bridge Street walking into Ynysangharad War Memorial Park at 8.06am.
Inquiries are continuing to establish where Naomi went after that.
In the footage Naomi is wearing a long scarf, dark jacket, dark jeans, and black trainers with white soles. She is also carrying a holdall.
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A UK-wide search is under way to find them both and return Naomi home.
Detective Inspector Arabella Rees from South Wales Police said: Naomi is a teenage girl who hasnt been seen for two weeks.
No contact has been made so of course we are worried for her safety.
We are working with policing colleagues across the UK and we are following up information we have had from a very supportive public.
Have you seen 15-year-old Naomi Rees? She was last seen in Rhydyfelin the morning of Wednesday 15th August. We are very concerned for Naomis welfare and are appealing for anyone who may have any information to contact us on 101 ref 1800310545. pic.twitter.com/138N1DebqD SW Police North (@swpnorth) August 19, 2018
Our investigation is focused on South Wales and also areas which run along the Wales border into the Midlands.
Other police forces are assisting us and we are asking members of the public to help us.
Naomi is a child, she needs to be with her parents.
My appeal to her is to let us know you are safe.
There has been a lot of chatter about dystopias these days, mostly: are we living in one? Reading news day after day about our tumultuous presidency, unambiguous effects of climate change or murderous self-driving cars may make it seem that way.
George Orwells 1984, perhaps the best-known dystopian novel, is often used as a barometer for corruption and government control. While things (in the U.S. at least) havent quite reached Orwellian levels, 1984s theme of surveillance resonates amid data privacy theft scandals and a world of hackable laptop cameras. Plenty more novels have predicted the future in one way or another but these eight have been eerily spot on.
It Cant Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis (1935)
This 83-year-old novel has received some new attention for certain parallels with the current U.S. administration. Set during the time it was written, Lewis imagined the rise of a populist figure by the name of Buzz Windrip who rallies to defeat FDR in the 1936 election. A recent New York Times article outlined the similarities between Windrip and Trump, stating, Like Trump, Windrip sells himself as the champion of Forgotten Men, determined to bring dignity and prosperity back to Americas white working class. Windrip loves big, passionate rallies and rails against the lies of the mainstream press.
Available on Amazon
Debt of Honor, Tom Clancy (1994)
This perennial bestselling author who traffics in military slash spy thrillers has managed to make a couple of accurate predictions over his career. It was this installment of his popular Jack Ryan series in which the story climaxes (spoiler alert) with a hijacked 747 crashing into the Capitol building. While the novel is about a fictionalized conflict between the U.S. and Japan, the presence of a weaponized commercial plane put Clancy and his book in the spotlight during the aftermath of 9/11.
Available on Amazon
Super Sad True Love Story, Gary Shteyngart (2010)
A more recent addition to the list, Shteyngarts dystopian satire caught the attention of the New York Times a year after it was published for anticipating the Chinese debt debacle that resulted in the S&P downgrading the U.S. credit rating. Set in the near future, Shteyngarts world is more extreme than present reality, but certain aspects ring true. People meet each other through a dating service similar to Tinder and use a post-phone device called an apparat to digitally stalk others in lieu of speaking to them. Also, physical books become novelty objects as reading declines in popularity. Since social media was already widespread when this book was written, these may not count as cold, hard predictions. As for books, the future isnt looking so bright. A recent study shows a third of young people do not read for pleasure.
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Available on Amazon
Feed by M.T. Anderson (2002)
This young adult novel was published during the deflation of the dot com bubble, when the world was uncertain of how exactly the internet would change society. In the book, people have chips implanted in their brains that enable them to access a digital network known as the feed. There people can interact and share media, and corporations can use an individuals data to send them highly-personalized advertising. Sound familiar? While brain chips are thankfully not a reality (yet), Anderson deserves credit for nailing the way data is used to target consumers with scary precision.
Available on Amazon
Earth, David Brin (1990)
Set in 2038, we still have a ways to go to determine whether all of David Brins visions of environmental catastrophe come true. That is to say, for the ones that havent already happened. Brins novel has become a sort of barometer for the dismal course of climate change. What did he get right? In addition to a series of accurate technological advancements, like the cheap availability of high-quality digital cameras and social media, Earth also alludes to a meltdown at the Fukushima power plant and broken levees in the Deep South.
Available on Amazon
Parable Series, Octavia E. Butler (1993-98)
Butler is another writer whose foretold rise of a populist demagogue has since drawn renewed interest in the Trump era. The two books touch on all the classic features of a premonitory dystopia i.e. global warming, the rise of fascism, growing corporate influence and staggering inequality but one detail is exceptionally eerie. The second novel, Parable of the Talents, describes a conservative evangelist from Texas who is running for the presidency with a platform to Make America Great Again.
Available on Amazon
White Noise, Don DeLillo (1985)
At the time it was published, White Noise was seen as a satirical look at a world defined by consumerism and the ubiquity of technology, set against a backdrop of looming ecological disaster. Reading the novel today, its difficult to shake the feeling that DeLillos vision of the world has come true. Shopping and consumption are seen as therapeutic exercises by the characters in a way that echoes todays self-care and wellness economy. The central character and his family also inundate themselves with news from TV and the radio, consuming a constant feed of information in the background of their lives to the point of inducing fatigue. White Noise doesnt necessarily predict specific events or advances, but DeLillo perfectly captures the fatigue of living in a hyperconnected world.
Available on Amazon
Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner (1968)
Perhaps more than any other book, Stand on Zanzibar has gained notoriety for its sheer accuracy. Set in 2010, the novel imagines a world not that far off from events that transpired in the surrounding decadeslong after it was written. Brunner imagined the formation of the EU, the economic decline of Detroit and the rise in global terrorism. Other cultural predictions show up in the story, like the increasing acceptance of gay marriage and the decline in tobacco use alongside the decriminalization of marijuana. Some are unsettlingly on-the-nose. For example, the President of the United States is the charming and popular Mr Obomi.
Available on Amazon
New York (AFP) - Political novice Cynthia Nixon, known for her role in the TV series "Sex and the City", squared off against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a feisty televised debate Wednesday.
The joust came ahead of the Democratic Party primary on September 13 for the gubernatorial post in the heavily Democratic state of 20 million people.
Cuomo is a part of Democratic family dynasty; Nixon is a newcomer to politics who wants to lead a new progressive wing of the party.
They touched on subjects such as improving infrastructure, fighting poverty, defending the rights of women and above all standing up against President Donald Trump.
The debate was tense at times.
Cuomo asked Nixon several times to stop cutting him off.
"Can you stop interrupting?" Cuomo said to Nixon.
"Can you stop lying?" she replied.
Cuomo, who has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2020, said that if he is re-elected governor he will serve out his term.
Cuomo said he had experience to boast and Nixon did not.
"She lives in the world of fiction. I live in the world of facts," Cuomo said.
Nixon called Cuomo a corrupt "corporate Democrat" and defended herself as a champion of the poor and of minorities.
The latest polls show Cuomo ahead.
Whoever wins the primary in two weeks is almost assured of being governor because New York is a Democratic stronghold.
After Grant and Amanda Hayes killed Laura Ackerson, cut her body into pieces and attempted to dissolve the remains in acid, they threw her dismembered remains into an alligator-infested creek to get rid of the evidence.
Those are the grim details of Ackersons 2011 murder that a Texas jury heard this month before convicting Amanda Hayes of tampering with evidence. That same day, Aug. 21, Fort Bend County District Judge Maggie Jaramillo sentenced the 46-year-old to 20 years in prison.
The jury verdict was swift, and the courts sentence was appropriately harsh, said Assistant District Attorney Amanda Bolin. Laura Ackersons family can be assured that Amanda Hayes will be punished for all of her barbaric behavior whether it was in North Carolina or the great state of Texas.
The sentence was the maximum possible under Texas law and is in addition to one shes serving roughly 1,000 miles away.
Raleigh, North Carolina, is where authorities say Grant and Amanda Hayes killed his ex-wife and the mother of his two young sons.
Ackerson was reported missing from Kinston, North Carolina, on July 18, 2011, after shed been gone about three days. The 27-year-old, an entrepreneur and graphic artist who had divorced Grant Hayes in 2010, was last known to be traveling to the Hayeses Raleigh apartment. Ackerson and her ex-husband, then 32, had 2- and 3-year-old sons together, and authorities believe she was going to pick them up when she disappeared.
On July 20, Ackersons car was found parked at a northwest Raleigh apartment complex. The location, according to police, was less than a quarter-mile from the Hayeses apartment.
Investigators learned Grant Hayes, a budding area musician, had recently married actress Amanda Hayes. According to Inside Edition, her screen credits include appearing in The Sopranos and portraying a robotic wife in the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives.
An undated photo of Laura Ackerson that was circulated after she was reported missing. (Photo: Handout)
Ackerson and her ex-husband reportedly had a tumultuous relationship and were involved in an ongoing custody dispute over their sons. The couple had been scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 15.
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Grant and Amanda Hayes, police discovered, had traveled to Richmond, Texas, on July 18. The city, about 60 miles south of Houston, was home to Amanda Hayes sister. Five days after the couples arrival, body parts were found scattered in Oyster Creek, roughly 100 yards from the sisters house.
The head had been severed from the torso, which was found in two pieces, and the arms and legs had been cut from the body, police said. Various body parts continued to surface for several weeks.
Investigators identified the remains as those of Ackerson and arrested Grant and Amanda Hayes. The sister did not face charges, according to Texas authorities, who said there was no indication she had any knowledge of what happened.
Given the condition of Ackersons body, the North Carolina chief medical examiner was unable to determine how she died and ruled her death a result of undetermined homicidal violence.
Grant Hayes after he was taken into custody by authorities. (Photo: Associated Press)
Investigators later said evidence collected in the case suggested Ackerson was killed and dismembered in North Carolina. Its believed her body parts were stuffed in ice chests and hauled about 1,200 miles to Texas for disposal.
Once in Richmond, the Hayeses, authorities said, attempted to use muriatic acid to destroy Ackersons body parts. When that didnt work, they took a boat onto Oyster Creek and dumped Lauras body parts into the water with hopes that alligators would eat her remains, the Fort Bend County District Attorneys Office said.
Grant Hayes murder trial began in Raleigh in August 2013. During the three-week trial, the jury was told by the state that a bitter custody dispute led to Ackersons slaying.
Grant Hayes, according to Raleighs WRAL-TV, smiled and laughed throughout the trial. His defense attorneys denied that he was involved in the actual murder that his wife had accidentally killed his ex-wife during a struggle but said that he did attempt to cover up the crime.
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Grant Hayes after he was arrested in Texas on suspicion of killing his ex-wife. (Photo: Associated Press)
One of the strongest pieces of evidence was a song Hayes recorded, in which he sang about killing his babies mama. The lyrics read, in part:
My babiesmama, dont talk to me. Dont want your drama. I got two kids by you. I cant take any more from you I put a price tag on your head. You must have told your attorney I got intentions on killing you.
On Sept. 16, 2013, jurors found Hayes guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his ex-wife.
I think that a jury verdict in a case like this, in an hour and a half, probably speaks louder than anything anyone could say about this case, Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens said prior to sentencing Hayes to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Amanda Hayes enters court after her arrest in Texas. (Photo: Associated Press)
Amanda Hayes trial began in January 2014. She denied killing Ackerson and claimed shed only participated in disposing of the body. She did so, according to her testimony, because she was afraid of her husband and afraid he might hurt the children.
Assistant District Attorney Becky Holt told jurors Hayes was acting on the witness stand and had participated in the killing because she was tired of the financial strain they were under because of the custody dispute.
The monthlong trial ended on Feb. 19, 2014, with the jury finding Hayes guilty of second-degree murder. The same judge in her husbands trial sentenced her to 13 to 16 years in prison.
She chose ... to participate in her killing, Judge Stephens said while sentencing Hayes.
Grant and Amanda Hayes divorced after she was indicted in Texas. Because Grant Hayes is serving a life sentence, Fort Bend County prosecutors said they decided not to seek an indictment against him. (Photo: Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office)
Two months after Amanda Hayes was sentenced, six guards at the Wake County Jail lost their jobs after they were accused of inappropriate relationships with inmates, including Amanda Hayes. No criminal charges were filed against the guards.
That same month, a Texas grand jury indicted Amanda Hayes on charges of dumping Ackersons remains in Richmond, the case that brought this months conviction. At her second trial, she again denied involvement in the murder and claimed fear drove her to help dispose of the body parts.
The 20-year sentence that Jaramillo handed down ensures Hayes will not get out of jail anytime soon. Jaramillo ordered the sentence to run consecutive to Hayes North Carolina sentence, meaning she wont be credited for any of her Texas time until she serves her North Carolina sentence and is brought back to Texas and incarcerated.
Should Amanda Hayes serve the entirety of both sentences and live to see the day shes released, shell be 82 years old.
Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
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Jeffrey Dahmer
Notorious cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer sits with his defense team during his 1991 trial. Dahmer went on a killing spree in the 1980s during which he murdered 17 men and boys. He often had sex with the corpses before dismembering them and, in some cases, ate pieces of human flesh. After his conviction, Dahmer was killed by a fellow inmate in prison.
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy was arrested in 1978 after murdering 33 men and boys. He was known as the "Killer Clown" for his work as a children's entertainer. When Gacy became the suspect in a young man's disappearance, he invited police to his home for coffee. Cops noticed a smell that could emanate from a decaying body. They returned with a search warrant and found 29 victims stuffed into crawlspaces.
David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, terrorized New York with six murders and several other shootings that ended with his 1977. When police arrested him, Berkowitz, a mailman, said his neighbor's dog commanded him to strike. He's in Sing Sing prison In New York serving life, though he's eligible for parole.
Angelo Buono
Angelo Buono, a 47 year old auto upholsterer, sits in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday March 2, 1982 as he listens to opening arguments in the so called "Hillside Stranglings" case in which Buono is accused of killing 10 women and girls in the Los Angeles area between 1977 and 1978.
Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy at one time in the 1970s had a bright future in the Washington State Republican Party, but instead became one of the most famous serial killers and necrophiliacs. He often deceived his victims, all women, into thinking that he was injured and in need of help before attacking them. In 1976 he was arrested for an attempted kidnapping, but while acting as his own lawyer, he escaped. He migrated to Tallahassee where he killed two women in a Florida State University sorority house. He was convicted of those murders and while on death row in 1989 he confessed to 50 other murders. Correction: A previous version of this slide misstated the location of the Florida State murders as Pensacola, Fla.
Aileen Wuornos
Aileen Wuornos admitted to killing six men while she worked as a prostitute in Florida in 1989 and 1990. She initially claimed that she acted in self defense against johns who raped her or tried to rape her. But later she admitted that she robbed and killed in cold blood and would do it again if she were free. She was executed in 2002.
Anthony Sowell
Anthony Sowell was convicted and sentenced to death in 2011 for killing 11 women and keeping their remains in his Cleveland home.
Richard Ramirez
In this file photo taken Oct. 24, 1985, "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez displays a pentagram symbol on his hand inside a Los Angeles courtroom. The California Supreme Court Monday< Aug. 7, 2006, upheld the convictions and death sentence for serial killer Richard Ramirez, the so-called "Night Stalker" whose killing spree terrorized the Los Angeles area in the mid 1980s. Ramirez, now 46, was sentenced to death in 1989 for 13 Los Angeles-area murders committed in 1984 and 1985. Satanic symbols were left at some murder scenes and some victims were forced to "swear to Satan" by the killer, who broke into homes through unlocked windows and doors. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon)
Andrew Cunanan
Andrew Cunanan is seen in this 1997 mugshot from the FBI. Cunanan murdered five men from Minneapolis to Miami, including fashion designer Gianni Versace. As investigators closed in on him, Cunanan committed suicide in 1997.
Ed Gein
Edward Gein, 51, of Plainfield, Wisc. enters Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane Nov. 23,1957, in Milwaukee. Gein admitted to slaying two women and dismembering their bodies as well as robbing graves. Gein flayed the bodies and used human skin and other body parts to decorate furniture and clothing in his decrepit farmhouse. His twisted tale was the inspiration for murders in movies like Buffalo Bill from "The Silence of the Lambs."
Gary Ridgway
Gary Ridgeway slew 48 women in the Seattle area from 1982 to 1998. He was known as the Green River Killer, because his first five victims were found near the waterway. The case was one of the longest unsolved murder mysteries in the country, not to mention one of the bloodiest. Ridgeway pleaded guilty in 2003 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Albert Fish
Albert Fish was a child rapist and cannibal who confessed to torturing hundreds of children, beginning in 1880 in New York. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1935, however, for the murder of a single girl, 10-year-old Grace Budd. During the trial, Fish said he heard voices in his head that told him to attack children.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this slide incorrectly stated that Budd was the daughter of Fish's employee.
Coral Eugene Watts
Early on his life, Coral Eugene Watts was identified by psychiatrists as a dangerous and violent individual. He lived up to those warnings as the so-called Sunday Morning Slasher and confessed to killing 80 women in Michigan, Texas and Canada in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He strangled, drowned, stabbed and beat his victims. He died in 2007 in prison from prostate cancer while serving a life sentence for two of the Michigan murders.
Richard Angelo
Richard Angelo, a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in New York, killed 25 patients in a bungled plan to turn himself into a hero. Angelo injected patients with a cocktail of dangerous drugs with the plan of restoring them to life and burnishing his reputation as a life-saving medical professional. Only 12 patients survived the "Angel of Death."
Joseph Naso
This is an undated booking photo released by the Washoe County Sheriff's office showing Joseph Naso. Authorities in California and Nevada plan to release more information about Naso, the 77-year-old man accused in four homicides spanning two decades. Naso, of Reno, Nev., was booked late Monday, April 11, 2011, on suspicion of the killings in 1977, 1978, 1993 and 1994.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Montreal (AFP) - The Canadian province of Alberta announced Thursday it would pull out of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's flagship climate change initiative in protest against a court ruling against the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
A court had earlier quashed the government's approval of expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline to the Pacific, siding with indigenous people worried that increased tanker traffic will harm whales along the coast.
Landlocked Alberta in western Canada, which sits on the world's third largest oil reserves, was set to rely on the pipeline to sell oil to Asian markets via the port of Vancouver.
"As important as climate action is to our province's future I have also always said that taking the next step, in signing on to the federal climate plan, can't happen without the Trans Mountain pipeline," Premier Rachel Notley told reporters in a live address Thursday evening.
"With the Trans Mountain halted and the work on it halted, until the federal government gets its act together, Alberta is pulling out of the federal climate plan," she said.
Trudeau's government introduced a federal carbon tax earlier this year to curb greenhouse gas emissions, set to rise steadily from Can$10 ($7.50) per tonne this year to Can$50 per tonne in 2022.
"Let's be clear, without Alberta that plan isn't worth the paper it's written on," Notley said.
Meanwhile, Trudeau said in a tweet he confirmed to Notley that his government "stands by the TMX expansion project" and "will ensure it moves forward in the right way".
In addition to Alberta, the provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario in mid-July announced an alliance against the carbon tax, which they believe is harmful to the economy.
Ontario -- Canada's richest and most populous province -- elected a climate-sceptic prime minister in June, who is working to dismantle climate change policies.
Paul Hind arrives at Northumberland Magistrates' Court - PA
A "sick sadist" internet troll used high-profile tragedies to target grieving families, a court has heard.
Paul Hind, 38, posted offensive material on Facebook about four dead young people.
He called Olivia Burt, a 20-year-old Durham University student who died from head injuries after an incident outside the city's Missoula nightclub in February, a "sex worker" and "prostitute" on the social media site.
South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court heard on Thursday that the defendant, of Westacres in Wark, also doctored an image of the dead woman and posted pictures of children who were "clearly terminally ill" on her Facebook page on April 20.
Speaking after Hind had admitted four separate offences of conveying false information which was indecent or grossly offensive, Ms Burt's father, Nigel Burt, from Hampshire, said his actions were a "desecration" of his daughter's memory.
Describing how the postings had made him and Ms Burt's mother, Paula Burt, feel "physically sick", he said: "The person who carried out this trolling can only be described as a sick sadist who knows that they are adding to our anguish and gets enjoyment out of this.
"Even though the Facebook posts have now gone, we keep expecting them to reappear on some other social media platform.
"This is causing us continuing anxiety and distress."
Durham undergraduate Olivia Burt who was killed in a crush while queueing to gain entry to the Missoula nightclub Credit: Social media
Mr Burt added: "We would also like to say that our dealings with Facebook have compounded our misery."
He said the social media giants only tackle individual posts and not "overall trolling", describing this method as "hopeless".
As well as Ms Burt, Hind also targeted a tribute page for Hannah Witheridge, a 23-year-old who was killed on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014.
The other counts related to the deaths of Joe Tilley, 24, who was found dead at the bottom of a waterfall in Colombia in May, and 19-year-old Duncan Sim, whose remains were found at West Sands in St Andrews earlier this year.
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District Judge Kate Meek sent the case to Newcastle Crown Court for sentence on September 27, and praised the Burt family for sitting in on the proceedings.
Judge Meek also passed on her "deepest condolences" for the loss of their daughter and said that the defendant had only added to the "already unimaginable" pain that they were suffering.
Nigel and Paula Burt Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Speaking outside court after the hearing, Hind said he was "deeply sorry" for his actions and that he had done them "for attention".
Describing how he was suffering from mental health issues and was "highly intoxicated" at the time of the offences, he said: "All I can say to the families for the actions I have committed is sorry, that is all I can say - sorry.
"I don't expect them to accept any apology from me whatsoever for what I have done."
When asked whether his actions could be seen as worthy of a jail sentence, he said: "From my point of view, personally, and for what I did, I would say yes.
"I do deserve a punishment, and I don't just deserve a punishment of being banned from social media, trying to apologise to the parents and forgetting about the whole thing.
"I have to be punished accordingly for causing people the anxiety and the stress I have caused them, there's no question about that."
Phnom Penh (AFP) - An Australian filmmaker was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday after being convicted of espionage in Cambodia in a case that Human Rights Watch slammed as a "ludicrous charade".
James Ricketson has been held in jail since his arrest in June last year after he flew a drone over a rally held by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was effectively banned months later.
The CNRP's dissolution paved the way for strongman premier Hun Sen to win a clean sweep of all parliamentary seats in July's national election, which Western democracies have said was flawed in the absence of any viable opposition.
After a six-day trial, Judge Seng Leang found the 69-year-old Ricketson guilty on two charges of espionage.
"We have decided to convict (him) to six years in prison for espionage and collecting harmful information that could affect national defence," he said, without giving any details of which country he was allegedly spying for.
The prosecution had accused Ricketson of working as a filmmaker in Cambodia for years as a front for spying.
"Unbelievable -- which country am I spying for?" Ricketson asked out loud in court.
His lawyer Kong Sam Onn told reporters waiting outside the court there was "little evidence" to convict his client and that he plans to request a royal pardon from the Cambodian king.
Earlier this week 14 opposition lawmakers and activists jailed before the election were released after sending apology letters to Hun Sen, which the premier said he sent on to the monarch.
- 'Scapegoat' -
Calling the result "devastating", Ricketson's son Jesse said he could not comment on whether an apology letter to Hun Sen was forthcoming to secure his father's release.
"We'll need some time to get ourselves together and work out what to do next. Obviously, we won't be giving up," the younger Ricketson said. "The human toll of this situation is really hard for everyone... I feel so much for my father right now."
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Andrea Giorgetti, Asia director for the International Federation for Human Rights, said that Ricketson's conviction stemmed from "baseless charges".
"The imprisonment of Mr. Ricketson after the slew of recent releases of Hun Sen's political opponents shows that the revolving door of political prisoners keeps spinning in Cambodia," Giorgetti told AFP.
Human Rights Watch's Phil Robertson decried the court's findings on Friday, saying that the trial "exposed everything that's wrong with the Cambodian judicial system".
Robertson said the Australian was used as a "scapegoat" by the government to crack down on political opposition.
He also criticised what he said was inaction by the Australian government in "failing to publicly and consistently challenge this ludicrous charade and demand Ricketson's immediate and unconditional release."
Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said the government "continues to provide Mr Ricketson full consular assistance" but offered no criticism of the verdict.
"Mr. Ricketson is subject to legal proceedings under Cambodian law and must now consider his response to the court's decision using the avenues open to him under Cambodian law," she said.
In the months leading up to the election, the Hun Sen-backed government cracked down on opposition lawmakers, journalists and activists.
Ricketson has faced legal problems in the past. He was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2014 for allegedly threatening to broadcast allegations that a church working in Cambodia had sold children.
Two years later, he was fined after a court found him guilty of defaming an anti-paedophile NGO by accusing the group of manipulating witnesses.
Phoenix (AFP) - Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday eulogized late senator John McCain as an American "giant" whose belief in the soul of the country helped give citizens their confidence and optimism.
Biden led heartfelt tributes to the warrior and onetime Republican presidential nominee at a Phoenix memorial shortly before McCain's remains were to be flown to Washington.
"My name is Joe Biden. I'm a Democrat. And I love John McCain," he began as he praised his longtime Republican Senate colleague as "a giant among all of us," a hero whose character, courage and integrity helped inspire a nation.
"The bottom line is, I think John believed in us," said Biden, who occasionally wiped away tears as he recounted a friendship that marked a bygone-era of bipartisan cooperation in Washington.
"I always thought of John as a brother. We had a hell of a lot of family fights," but their closeness transcended political differences, he added.
Biden's poignant words came a day after more than 15,000 people, many waiting in 100-degree (38 degrees Celsius) summer heat, paid tribute to McCain at the Arizona state capitol.
Some two dozen senators from both parties attended Thursday's church ceremony, as did McCain's children and wife Cindy, who wore black mourning dress.
Biden said there was something "intangible" about the national outpouring of grief over the passing of McCain, who has been critical of President Donald Trump.
"I think it's because they knew John believed so deeply and so passionately in the soul of America. He made it easier for them to have confidence and faith in America," Biden said.
Hundreds of Arizonans were seen lining the streets to pay final respects as McCain's flag-draped coffin was then driven in a black hearse, escorted by four policemen on motorcycles, towards the airport for transport to Washington aboard a US military plane.
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On Friday his remains will lie in state in the US Capitol, followed by a Saturday funeral service where former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama -- each of whom defeated McCain in their races for the White House -- will deliver remarks.
It is expected to be a fitting send-off for a political icon and former prisoner of war who came to epitomize respect, passionate debate and conciliation, especially in today's climate of political division.
McCain, who died Saturday at 81 after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, will be buried Sunday at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Trump is not scheduled to attend the funeral services.
A California man who was hunting bear ended up being the hunted when he was mauled by the animal.
The unidentified man was bow hunting with two other men in Riverside Countys Banning Canyon last Friday and shot a black bear with an arrow, according to The Yucaipa News Mirror.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Capt. Charles Foy said the hunter waited before attempting to recover the animals carcass but apparently not long enough.
It turns out the 300-pound bear wasnt dead, and it lashed out, causing serious injuries.
He was in bad shape with pretty severe injuries. Not fit to be interviewed, Foy told the paper. The man is reportedly still at a local hospital recovering from his injuries.
One of the other hunters told Los Angeles station KABC that the victim is an experienced hunter who just didnt wait long enough after striking the bear to get a closer look.
Foy told the station that was a mistake. Approaching an animal thats injured can be dangerous or can at least put that animal in a position where its going to forcibly defend itself thinking its under threat, he said.
The bear has since died and was removed from the area and taken to a lab for study, according to The Riverside Press-Enterprise.
It is bear-hunting season in California for those with a proper license and a bear tag. The Fish and Game Department is investigating the incident.
Bear attacks are really, really rare, Foy told KABC. Weve had incidents even recent incidents where a bear did come into physical contact with a young guy who was camping. Weve had a few cases over the last few years of bears but nothing to this degree.
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Other common name: Grizzly bear. Sometimes classified as sub-species Ursus arctos horribilis. Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA. Native: Northwest America, Alaska, Canada and Russia, isolated populations in Europe. Habitat: mixed woodland and open areas.
Two black bear cubs strike a pose for the camera in the Smoky Mountains.
POLAR BEAR PAW. CLOSE-UP. CHURCHILL. MANITOBA, CANADA
Wild, male American black bear (Ursus americanus) laying down or resting in summer grasses. Near Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada
China, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Giant Panda Bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) feeding on bamboo shoots at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horriblis)
Photo, Two polar bear cubs sitting on the ground
USA, Alaska, Katmai National Park, Coastal Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) leaping after salmon in spawning stream
Wolong, China
Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, black bear, ursus americanu
a polar bear mom and cub walking across the edge of the sea ice in Churchill, Canada
Finland, Ruhtinansalmi, near Suomussalmi, Brown bear. Ursus arctos.
Black bear (Ursus americanus) captive, Florida, USA
Brown Bear, (Ursus arctos), cubs, Germany.
Polar bear (Thalarctos maritimus) in snowscape
China, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Giant Panda Bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) eating bamboo shoots at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Spitsbergen, Norway
Alaska, United States, North America
Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, South-East Asia, Asia
Baby panda playing on its back
Polar Bears Playing, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
United States, North America
Polar bear on floating ice
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
La Paz (AFP) - Bolivia submitted a counterclaim against Chile at the International Court of Justice on Friday regarding a dispute over a border spring between the South American neighbors.
The argument centers around the nature of the Silala river that runs along the border, and the use of its water.
Two years ago, Chile asked the ICJ to recognize the Silala as an international river, giving the two countries equal rights to share its water.
Bolivia argues that the river was made artificially 100 years ago by Chilean canalization and that the water source originates in wetlands in its territory.
Bolivia President Evo Morales said in a press conference on Friday that his country has asked the court to "declare Bolivian sovereignty over the artificial canals and drainage mechanisms that originate in our territory and the sovereign right to decide how to maintain them."
Bolivia lost its access to the sea in an 1879-1884 war with Chile.
The two countries haven't had diplomatic relations since 1978, when Bolivia failed in an attempt to negotiate a passage to the Pacific Ocean.
An elevator door at the Capitol closes Tuesday on Bruce Ohr, international man of some mystery. (Photo: Zach Gibson via Getty Images)
Followers of President Donald Trumps personal Twitter feed know him as a frequent critic of the U.S. Justice Department. Although his favorite targets remain special counsel Robert Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, lately the president has pushed another, rather unknown name into his crosshairs: Bruce Ohr.
Here, weve saved you a lot of Googling.
Who is Bruce Ohr?
Ohr has been with the Department of Justice (or Justice Department, as per the president) for nearly three decades. He started as a prosecutor in New York before transferring to Washington, D.C., where he was eventually named associate deputy attorney general.
How the hell is Bruce Ohr still employed at the Justice Department? Disgraceful! Witch Hunt! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
His focus is international organized crime particularly Russian organized crime. Colleagues and family members told The New York Times he has an upstanding reputation as a scrupulous government official. CNN reported that Ohr was viewed as a consummate government servant.
In certain posts, Trump called him a creep and a disgrace.
Ohr was demoted in December 2017. In a statement provided to Fox News at the time, a Justice Department official suggested he was doing too much wear[ing] two hats and the new role will allow him to focus back on organized crime.
Is that all?
Not quite. Ohr knows Christopher Steele, the former British spy who authored the Trump dossier, because Steele once worked for the FBI as a confidential human source over an unspecified time. (The agency kept the receipts.) Ohr communicated with him as a Justice Department official.
When Steele shared information with Mother Jones magazine shortly before the 2016 election, reportedly out of frustration, the FBI stopped using him as a source. But Ohr continued to talk to him and pass his information along to the FBI, even though he wasnt officially involved with any investigation pertaining to Trump.
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Will Bruce Ohr, whose family received big money for helping to create the phony, dirty and discredited Dossier, ever be fired from the Jeff Sessions Justice Department? A total joke! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2018
The so-called Nunes memo a much-hyped document authored by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) claims Steele told Ohr he really, really did not want Trump elected president.
Additionally, Ohr is married to Nellie Ohr, who formerly worked for Fusion GPS, the company that used funding from Democrats to compile a dossier containing several appalling claims about Trump. He didnt initially tell Justice Department leadership about the scope of his wifes work or his continued interactions with Steele.
Why does this matter?
Thanks to his wife and to Steele, Ohr is loosely connected to the Russia investigation. For that he has found himself at the center of a theorized anti-Trump conspiracy. (Phrases such as RIGGED!, WITCH HUNT! and Fake Dossier tend to materialize in the presidents complaints about him on Twitter.)
On Tuesday, Republicans in the House brought him in for a closed-door interview about his contacts with Steele. He was also questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee in December 2017.
To the right, Ohrs behavior taints the Russia investigation into possible coordination between that nation and Trumps campaign. But the idea misses one big point: The Russia investigation didnt start because of the Trump dossier. It was prompted by the actions of George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser.
What could Trump do to him?
The president could revoke Ohrs security clearance, as he has threatened to do in recent weeks. That would make it pretty hard for Ohr to do his job.
To fire Ohr, Trump would have to lean on Sessions, an ostensible Trump supporter in the doghouse for recusing himself from overseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Fox News has learned that Bruce Ohr wrote Christopher Steele following the firing of James Comey saying that he was afraid the anti-Trump Russia probe will be exposed. Charles Payne @FoxBusiness How much more does Mueller have to see? They have blinders on - RIGGED! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
Why is this all coming up now?
Conservative media have seized on the Ohr story, implying that the Russia investigation was born out of partisan prejudice. The presidents channel of choice, Fox News, is particularly preoccupied with it lately, and Trump has on multiple occasions cited the news outlets coverage in his tweets.
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Related Coverage
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Beirut (AFP) - Despite three months of wrangling, Lebanon's premier-designate has been unable to form a new cabinet, threatening to paralyse the country's institutions and launch its already-frail economy into a dangerous tailspin.
Lebanon is no stranger to drawn-out negotiations over forming governments, but the current delays risk squandering a precious $11 billion package of economic aid.
On May 24, after parliamentary elections, President Michel Aoun quickly nominated Saad Hariri for his third term as prime minister and tasked him with forming a cabinet.
"The objective was to form a government as quickly as possible. We had hoped in the beginning that it would be formed in two weeks," says Alain Aoun, a member of parliament and the president's nephew.
That new government would be able to sign off on billions of dollars in aid pledged by donor countries and international organisations at the France-led CEDRE conference in April.
But political parties have been locked in a three-month dispute over how many -- and which -- ministerial posts they will each be granted.
Lebanon is governed by a complex system which aims to maintain a precarious balance of power across religious and political communities.
Its major political players have always ruled through consensus, which leaves little to chance, typically includes dizzying horsetrading, and means negotiations can easily drag out.
In 2009, Hariri needed five months to pull together his first government, and it took Tamam Salam double that time to announce his in 2014.
The current delays may seem relatively harmless, but Aoun says there is more at risk now than ever before.
"We've definitely seen worse in the past, but the context is different now," he told AFP.
"We're facing an economic emergency."
- Boost to infrastructure on hold -
The Lebanese economy's downward spiral was brought on by the outbreak of conflict in neighbouring Syria in 2011.
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Economic growth plummeted from a solid nine percent at the time and has hovered around 1.1 percent for the past three years.
Public debt stands at $82 billion, equivalent to 150 percent of gross domestic product, the third highest worldwide after Japan and Greece.
The CEDRE funds are earmarked to boost the economy, with a focus on improving Lebanon's ailing infrastructure.
In exchange, Lebanon promised a string of reforms including tougher measures to fight corruption and reduce budget deficits.
But without a new government, the authorities cannot introduce major structural changes or sign off on the deal.
Lebanon's parties are mainly arguing over who will head powerful ministries, including the interior, foreign affairs, and energy portfolios.
But they are also bitterly divided over what future ties with the government in neighbouring Syria will look like.
After seven years of fierce fighting, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appears to have regained the upper hand with around two-thirds of the country under his control.
Lebanese officials have increased calls for some 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return home and are scrambling to ensure Beirut gets a slice of any economic activity generated by Syria's reconstruction.
But some parties long opposed to Damascus say any new cabinet should formally adopt a policy of distancing itself from Assad.
- 'In the red' -
The head of powerful pro-Damascus movement Hezbollah said the thorny question should be set aside to protect Lebanon from financial disaster.
Hariri has also warned of economic collapse, saying this week that "the responsibility to accelerate the formation of the government is that of all parties, in order to avoid the economic deterioration in the country."
In the interim, the economy has continued to worsen.
The value of cleared checks -- an indicator of investment and consumption -- dropped 13 percent between January and June this year, according to Lebanon's central bank.
"The delay in the formation of the new cabinet has an undeniable impact on investments and therefore on growth," says Marwan Barakat, chief economist at Bank Audi.
Barakat said seven of 11 economic indicators he studied were "in the red" in the first seven months of 2018 compared with the same period last year.
But those close to the government say the rescue funds from CEDRE are on the way, despite the delays.
"An extra month or two won't compromise a strategy spread out over 10 years, maybe more," Hariri's economic adviser Nadim Munla says.
Edward Chang
Security,
What plane would you choose in a fight?
Cagematch: America's Deadly F-15E Strike Eagle vs. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (Who Wins?)
On balance, Maverick could not go wrong with either the Strike Eagle or Super Hornet. Both are highly-capable fighters that have performed admirably and improved considerably with time. Of course, being a Navy pilot, Maverick will have no choice but to fly the Bug. But though he may miss his old F-14, he is unlikely to be disappointed in the upcoming Block III F/A-18E/F. Thanks to its excellent design and upgrades, Maverick will continue to be able to claim the mantle of Top Gun.
Tom Cruise stirred excitement last week when he teased that production of the sequel to the iconic 1986 film Top Gun had commenced. In doing so, he not only unintentionally kicked off a friendly interservice feud, but may have also spurred a debate regarding which of Americas two fighter aircraft mainstays is superior.
In response to the promotional picture, which featured Maverick looking at an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with the phrase Feel the Need superimposed on it, the Air Force responded via Twitter, If Maverick really had a need for speed, hed hop into one of our F-15E Strike Eagles! #DYK: They have a top speed for 1,875 miles per hour. The amusing exchange went back and forth for several tweets, with even the Air Force Space Command leaping into the fray, highlighting the six thousand miles-per-hour velocity of its space-launch vehicles.
(This first appeared several months ago.)
It does beg the question, thoughnotwithstanding Maverick is a Naval Aviator and could not fly the F-15E even if he wanted to, which fighter should he fly; the Strike Eagle or the Super Hornet?
It is worth noting both the F-15E and F/A-18E/F are produced by Boeing. Going further back in time, both fighters are products of McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997. The two fighters may be different, but neither the Air Force nor Navy can claim that their Sunday punchers are the product of a superior manufacturer.
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It is also worth noting that the Air Force embellished its claim of the Strike Eagles superiority by pointing to its unbeaten record in combat, having downed over one hundred enemy fighters while losing none of its own. But the majority of those one hundred kills belong to the Israeli Air Force and belong to the older F-15A/C air superiority variant and export variants. The F-15E does have a few kills to its name, but a number of them have been lost in combat as well.
Most importantly, the Strike Eagle, as its name implies, is a multirole strike fighter. To optimize this capability, it carries a crew of twoa pilot and Weapons System Officer. Though it possesses excellent air-to-air capability, its reason for being has always been long-range ground attack. The air supremacy mission is better off in the hands of dedicated fighters and interceptors like the legacy F-15 and the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor.
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By comparison, the F/A-18 can claim only three kills and the Super Hornet only one of those three. The Super Hornets lone kill came last year over Syria, nearly fifteen years after entering operational service. Like the Air Force fighter, the F/A-18E/F is a multirole strike fighter, but greater emphasis is placed on the air superiority mission. This role became more critical after the retirement of Mavericks first ride, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, in 2006. Like both the Tomcat and Strike Eagle, the F-variant carries a crew of two, while the E-variant carries one. In addition, the Super Bug, as the plane is both affectionately and derisively called, conducts precision-strike, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), reconnaissance, and even aerial refueling tanker missions. When it comes to versatility, the Navy can certainly claim to have the superior platform.
But, as the saying goes, a jack-of-all-trades is not exactly a master of any trade. In fact, the numbers do show the Air Force may possess the superior platform in the Strike Eagle. The latest version is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 turbofans producing over twenty-nine thousand pounds of thrust with afterburner. By comparison, the Super Hornet is powered by two General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans producing twenty-two thousand pounds twenty-two thousand pounds of thrust with afterburner. According to Boeing, the Air Force is correct in saying the Strike Eagles top speed is 1,875 mph, while the Super Hornet flies up to 1,190 mph. When it comes to speed, the F-15E is far superior.
The most glaring difference is range. Though both aircraft utilize in-flight refueling, the F-15E has a combat radius of up to over one thousand miles, depending on its fuel and weapons load. The F/A-18E/F, again, depending on its war load, has less than half that. While the Navy fighter can pull off long-range or long-flight time missions, the Air Forces vanguard can do it with much greater ease. The Navy is taking a page out of its sister services playbook, however; the F/A-18E/F will adopt the Conformal Fuel Tank (CFT), considerably extending its unrefueled range. The F-15E was the first fighter to utilize CFTs when it entered service in 1989. They permit the fighters to carry more fuel without relying on conventional drop-tanks that increase radar signatures and increase drag.
The Strike Eagle also carries more weaponry than the Super Hornet. The F-15E carries up to twenty-three thousand pounds. of external fuel and ordnance, compared to the 17,750 pounds of the F/A-18E/F. Both carry the same kind of ordnance, with a few exceptions. The Super Hornet can fire AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs), but the Strike Eagle cannot, making the Air Force fighter the last resort for SEAD. In turn, the F/A-18E/F does not employ the GBU-28 bunker-buster bomb, while the F-15E does, which makes the latter a weapon of choice when a mission requires striking hardened or deeply-buried targets.
Despite offering different capabilities, both the Air Force and Navy have reasons for not only initially acquiring the Strike Eagle and Super Hornet, but for keeping them around as well. In nearly every American conflict since the 1991 Gulf War, the F-15E has proven to be an indispensable deep striker against targets of strategic importance and even an effective close air support fighter in recent conflicts. From enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq and the Balkans, to the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, Strike Eagles showed themselves to be deadly-effective at destroying just about everything. Its combination of payload, speed, and range is rivaled only by Americas heavy bombers, which are also more vulnerable and less flexible platforms.
For the Navy, the versatility of the Super Hornet, coupled with its cost-effectiveness, results in an aircraft that offers the widest range of competencies and still take off and land on an aircraft carrier. This last requirement is crucial, as it places limits on aircraft capabilities and design. In other words, the Strike Eagle may possess superior speed and range, but the F/A-18E/F can be placed closer to its target by virtue of flying off of a floating airbase at sea. This also means there are operational situations where the Super Hornet can be easily deployed, but the Strike Eagle cannot. In fact, in the event of a crisis, the F/A-18E/F is likely to be a first responder and on scene long before an F-15E shows up. Having been in service about half as long as its Air Force counterpart, the Super Hornet has proven itself to be very reliable during the War on Terror and has been at the forefront in the campaign to eradicate the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
Throughout their service lives, both fighters have been continuously upgraded and are even better than before. The F/A-18E/F utilizes an AN/APG-79 active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, replacing the AN/APG-73 radar it was introduced into the fleet with. The F-15E uses the AN/APG-82(V)1 (also AESA) which, ironically, combines the processor of the APG-79 with the antenna of the APG-63, the radar deployed on legacy F-15s. Precision strike is conducted on the Super Hornet with the Terminator II ATFLIR, which replaced the earlier Nite Hawk pod and offers higher-resolution targeting imagery from altitudes up to forty thousand feet. The Strike Eagle can choose from three podsthe LANTIRN, the Sniper XR, or the LITENING. The F-15E can also carry a Dragons Eye pod, which is a synthetic aperture radar used for geo-location, reconnaissance, and surveillance. The information gleaned from Dragons Eye is used to create detailed maps for intelligence purposes. The Super Hornet, meanwhile, carries the SHARP pod for reconnaissance missions, replacing the capability lost with the retirement of the F-14 and its TARPS pod.
Finally, both Strike Eagle and Super Hornet crews utilize the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), which allows users to direct sensors and weapons in the direction being viewed. But perhaps the best is yet to come, at least for the F/A-18E/F; the Block III variant will add a variety of state-of-the-art capabilities, including an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor. IRST can detect what radar cannot, namely stealth fighters, making the Block III Super Hornet one of the deadliest non-stealth fighters in the world. On the other side, the F-15E will remain in service for the foreseeable future, even as the F-15C air superiority fighter will retire within the next several years.
On balance, Maverick could not go wrong with either the Strike Eagle or Super Hornet. Both are highly-capable fighters that have performed admirably and improved considerably with time. Of course, being a Navy pilot, Maverick will have no choice but to fly the Bug. But though he may miss his old F-14, he is unlikely to be disappointed in the upcoming Block III F/A-18E/F. Thanks to its excellent design and upgrades, Maverick will continue to be able to claim the mantle of Top Gun.
Edward Chang is a freelance defense, military, and foreign policy writer. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and War Is Boring.
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California is making a big push for more women in the boardroom. On Wednesday, the state legislature passed a bill requiring publicly traded companies to have women on their boards. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill into law, California-based companies must have at least one woman on their boards by the end of 2019 or face financial penalties.
Research has revealed the benefits that women leaders bring to companies, like better financial results and employee satisfaction among many others, but Europe already experimented with requiring companies to appoint women board members and the move didnt exactly help women. Because ultimately women will still be the minority on corporate boards.
In the STOXX Europe 600, a quarter of women are board members. Norway and France have already mandated that at least 40% of a companys board should be women, but according to The Economist more diverse boards may not actually boost the companys productivity, increase return on equity, sales and attract investment capital.
The Economist argues snapshot studies produced by the proponents of quotas on companies with more women on boards dont prove that the change was the reason companies recorded better returns. When studies were conducted before and after quotas were imposed, performance results were inconclusive: some studies found positive effects, others negative or none at all.
But one study by Catalyst.org, a global nonprofit that works with CEOs and companies worldwide to build inclusive workplaces for women, found that companies that had more women on boards had better financial results than those who had fewer. Companies with the most women board directors had 16% higher return on sales than those with the least, and 26% higher return on invested capital.
Katherine Klein, a professor of management at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in a recent blog post that studies done by consulting firms and financial institutions are not as rigorous as peer-reviewed academic research.
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Results of numerous academic studies of the topic suggest that the presence of more female board members does not much improve or worsen a firms performance, writes Klein.
Yahoo Finances Tech Editor Dan Howley argues the California bill may set women up for failure. Howley said theres potential for backlash if companies are forced to take on a woman on the board when it is fully comprised of men who could push back in covert ways.
Maybe theyre going to put the woman in the corner and be like, well, OK, youre not going to have any intro or any kind of say in what we actually do, said Howley. I think its in the right place, but I dont know if its the right way to do it, by mandating it.
There should be other, better ways of achieving gender diversity and parity without having to resort to government mandates. The American culture of free markets and capitalism are not as receptive to quotas, whereas Europe is.
Yahoo Finances Dan Roberts summed it up, As Dan said, hearts in the right place with this effort.
Maylan Studart is a reporter for Yahoo Finance.
Minister Lini and newly appointed members of the National Green Climate Fund. The Director of Finance and DG of the Ministry of Climate Change as chairperson of the board are absent.
Associated Press
Police smashed their way into a suburban house on Wednesday and rescued a 4-year-old girl whose disappearance from her family's camping tent on Australia's remote west coast more than two weeks ago both horrified and captivated the nation. Officials wept with relief after seeing body camera video of a police officer scooping up the girl, Cleo Smith, and hearing her say, My name is Cleo. A 36-year-old local man was arrested after the late-night raid at the house in the coastal town of Carnarvon, which followed a tip to police on Tuesday.
By Julie Gordon and Sharay Angulo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top NAFTA negotiators from Canada and the United States wrapped up a third day of two-way talks on Thursday, agreeing to meet the next day to resolve final differences before a deadline, with Mexican counterparts on standby to rejoin negotiations. Despite some contentious issues still on the table, the increasingly positive tone contrasted with U.S. President Donald Trump's harsh criticism of Canada in recent weeks, raising hopes the year-long talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will conclude soon with a trilateral deal. "Canada's going to make a deal at some point. It may be by Friday or it may be within a period of time," U.S. President Donald Trump told Bloomberg Television. "I think we're close to a deal." Negotiations entered a crucial phase this week after the United States and Mexico announced a two-way deal on Monday, setting auto content rules and paving the way for Canada to rejoin talks to modernize the 1994 accord that underpins annual trade of more than $1 trillion. Three-way talks were already underway at the technical level and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo was expected to soon rejoin talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, people familiar with the process said. There was no deal yet, said Freeland, who briefed reporters at the end of Thursday's talks. "I had a brief conversation with Ambassador Lighthizer and his team. I had a couple of things to say and we'll reconvene in the morning." Earlier Freeland said she had a "long, intensive conversation" with Lighthizer. "We covered a lot of ground," she added. "The atmosphere remains constructive. Theres a lot of goodwill." Financial markets in U.S., Canada and Mexico have broadly risen this week on expectations of a new NAFTA deal. The NAFTA deal taking shape is likely to strengthen North America as a manufacturing base by making it more costly for automakers to import a large share of vehicle parts from outside. The automotive content provisions, the most contentious, could speed a shift of parts-making away from China. A new chapter governing the digital economy, along with stronger intellectual property, labor and environmental standards could also benefit U.S. companies, helping Trump fulfill his campaign promise of more American jobs. Trump has set a Friday deadline for an agreement by the three countries, which would allow Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to sign it before he leaves office at the end of November. U.S. law requires Trump to wait 90 days to sign. The U.S. president has warned he could try to proceed with a deal with Mexico alone and levy tariffs on Canadian-made cars if Ottawa does not come on board, although U.S. lawmakers have said ratifying a bilateral deal would not be easy. DAIRY, DISPUTE SETTLEMENT Jim Carr, Canada's minister for international trade diversification, who is not directly involved in the NAFTA talks, said there were risks to all if a deal were not reached because the economies have been dependent on one another for so long. "There is a risk for everybody, and I think all the nations are aware of that, and thats why were working literally around the clock to do whatever is possible to get the right deal, not any deal, but the right deal for all three countries," Carr told Reuters in Singapore on the sidelines of a regional conference. One sticking point for Canada is the U.S. effort to dump the Chapter 19 dispute-resolution mechanism that hinders the United States from pursuing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases. Lighthizer said on Monday that Mexico had agreed to eliminate the mechanism. Trump also wants a NAFTA deal that scraps dairy tariffs of up to 300 percent he argues are hurting U.S. farmers, an important political base for Republicans. But any concession to Washington by Ottawa is likely to upset Canadian dairy farmers, who wield outsized influence in politics, with concentrations in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. "Ultimately, we've got huge issues that are still to be resolved," said Jerry Dias, head of Canada's influential Unifor labor union. "Either we're going to be trading partners or we're going to fight." (Reporting by Julie Gordon and Sharay Angulo; Additional reporting by Jack Kim in SINGAPORE; Writing by Denny Thomas and David Lawder; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Clarence Fernandez)
A statue of John A. Macdonald, which has since been removed, is seen outside Victorias City Hall. (The Canadian Press)
Outside Victoria, B.C.s city hall stands an unassuming black metal plaque. It was installed earlier this month, but has already been repaired. Less than 24 hours after it was put in place, an X was scraped into the message on its surface.
In 2017, the City of Victoria began a journey of Truth and Reconciliation with the Lekwungen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt nations, on whose territories the city stands, the message reads.
They are the same words that were on the original plaque, which lets visitors to Victorias City Hall know the plaque is a replacement for a statue of John A. Macdonald.
The City, the Nations and the wider community grapple with Macdonalds complex history as both the first Prime Minister of Canada and a leader of violence against Indigenous Peoples, the plaques message continues.
The figure of Macdonald stood in the same spot until it was removed on August 10 and put into storage. The City of Victoria made the decision as part of what Mayor Lisa Helps says is an ongoing consultation process on how to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Helps says the citys reconciliation committee recommended the removal of the statue.
Its a symbol of the painful past, she said. If we want to have a broader conversation with the community about reconciliation, which we do, the Nations said the first step to that is to remove the statue from the front steps of City Hall.
The discussion will continue and well figure out an appropriate place in the city and an appropriate context for the statue, she told Yahoo Canada News.
A second plaque has been installed to replace a bronze statue of Canadas first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald after it was vandalized shortly after the removal of the statue over the weekend. People walk by the plaque daily as it stands in front of City Hall Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. (Photo by Chad Hipolito, The Canadian Press)
History cant be erased
The move has attracted attention, praise and fury across Canada.
Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer tweeted we should not allow political correctness to erase our history.
We should not allow political correctness to erase our history. We can look to the past, acknowledge and learn from mistakes, and celebrate achievements at the same time. https://t.co/jhCY5rC5lL Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) August 9, 2018
The Doug Ford government in Ontario even offered to install the statue in the province, which Victoria declined. It should be noted Ontario already has a statue of Macdonald outside its legislature.
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History cant be erased, Helps told Yahoo Canada News. Removing a statue does not remove the fact of John A. Macdonald. I would say its impossible to erase history.
What were proposing to do, she continued, is have a broader conversation and a broader context about the role of John A. Macdonald and that he played.
Helps has since said the statue will be moved to another public space in the city, and she also apologized for the way the process was handled, saying she hadnt realized some people felt excluded and wanted to participate in reconciliation.
While there has been a lot of noise over Victorias Macdonald statue, the source of the clamor is not new. It is not the only Macdonald monument to come into question in recent years, nor is it the first of a Canadian historical figure to be removed due to controversy over that persons treatment of Indigenous peoples.
An expert on Macdonald and an Indigenous advocate say the move and reaction to it shows Canada is having a deep conversation about its myths, identity, and how it has treated those who were here before Europeans arrived. They say it shows how Canada is changing and may be at a critical point in its history.
I think weve reached this tipping point where Canada has recognized its had a massive human rights failure in dealing respectfully with Indigenous peoples, says Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, an Indigenous lawyer, judge, child rights advocate and the director of the University of British Columbias Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.
Theres a very significant pushback, and Indigenous people feel that although Canada can apologize at a certain level for residential schools or provide some nominal compensation to those who are survivors of these schools, the really pernicious, long-term reconciliation is going to require addressing Canadas history at a deeper level.
That is just not happening yet. Its happening too slowly Theres a lot of unfinished business in Canada.
Residential school survivor Lorna Standingready is comforted by a fellow survivor in the audience during the closing ceremony of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. (Photo by Sean Kilpatrick, The Canadian Press)
A symbol of a painful past
For more than 100 years, an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their homes and forcibly sent to residential schools, which were operated by Canadian churches and funded by the federal government. Physical, sexual and mental abuse were rampant in the schools, and the children were forbidden from using their native languages. Overcrowding was common, food was inadequate and sanitation was poor. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates between 3,200 to more than 6,000 of these children died in the schools, though the full number is unknown.
Macdonald and his government were the creators of the Indian Act, which determined who was Indigenous, along with reserve lands and most federal policies for interaction with Indigenous peoples. The Macdonald government was also an architect of the residential school system.
In an 1883 speech to the House of Commons, Macdonald said an Indigenous child who is not sent to a residential school is simply a savage who can read and write. In its 2015 report, issued the same year Canada marked the 200th anniversary of Macdonalds birth, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the system cultural genocide. A 2015 Angus Reid poll found most Canadians agreed with the use of the term, but were deeply divided on issues of reconciliation.
Helps told Yahoo Canada News this is why Victorias Indigenous peoples find the statue difficult to look at and walk past into city hall.
Its a symbol of the painful past, she said.
A statue of Edward Cornwallis is seen during its removal from a park also named after Cornwallis in Halifax. (Photo by CBC News)
Lightning rods and flashpoints
In January, Halifax removed its statue of General Edward Cornwallis, the citys founder, from a park that also bears his name. In recent years, there were increasing protests against the statue and the name of the park, and the statue was the target of vandalism. Activists pointed out Cornwallis issued a so-called scalping proclamation, in which there was a cash bounty offered to anybody who killed one of Halifaxs Mikmaw people.
Brendan Elliott, a communications advisor with Halifax Regional Municipality, called the statue a lightning rod of discontent.
When First Nations people look at that statue, its a reminder for them and a very hurtful reminder of their history with this city, he told Yahoo Canada News.
Elliott said Halifax has since set up a reconciliation committee that is arms length from council. Part of its mandate is to determine what to do with the statue, the name of the park, and also the name of Cornwallis Street. The final decision will be up to council, he said.
History is always there. Its not being erased, Elliott said. The statue itself is a reminder of the significant role he played. When I say significant, I dont necessarily mean all in a positive way. Its a reminder of somebody who played a big role in founding the city of Halifax.
A man takes a photo of a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald after it was vandalized Monday, November 13, 2017 in Montreal. The statue appears covered in what appeared to be red paint with profanity painted at the base of the monument. (Photo by Ryan Remiorz, The Canadian Press)
Randy Boswell, an Ottawa journalist who edited a book of essays that commemorated the 200th anniversary of Macdonalds birth, said hes not surprised statues have become flashpoints.
Statues are objects of veneration and landmarks on our landscape which people view as permanent, Boswell says. But Canadians are recognizing there are other perspectives on history as the reconciliation process continues.
In terms of the landscape of celebration, if we can put it that way, there are a lot of gaps, he says. We dont have a lot of statues celebrating the achievements of women in Canada. We have very few monuments to Indigenous people.
Relatively speaking, the dial is heavy towards white male fathers of Confederation and other builders of the country at a time when women did not have full rights, a number of other groups including immigrants were marginalized, and so the story of our country is warped as a result.
A correction
But, is removing a statue really part of reconciliation? Will it advance it, or is it a distraction? The Truth and Reconciliation Report made 94 calls to action. These included improvements to Indigenous child welfare, education, health, language and culture, justice, legal equity, implementation and recognition of Indigenous rights, and more.
Turpel-Lafond pointed out that the report also called for symbolic acts of reconciliation, but says there is much more work to be done.
Commission chairman Justice Murray Sinclair raises his arm asking residential school survivors to stand at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Ottawa on June 2, 2015. (Photo by Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press)
But Sen. Murray Sinclair, himself the former chair of the TRC, warned against removing statues, saying it, smacks of revenge. He said Canada should work to honour Indigenous histories and heritage in different ways.
John Dann, the statues creator, wrote to Helps that he was honoured if the statue can start a conversation about Macdonalds complicated legacy, but said he wasnt sure removing the statue was the right move, according to the Times Colonist.
Nor, it seems, is Liberal MP Catherine McKenna, who is responsible for Parks Canada as part of her role as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.
McKenna told The Canadian Press she has asked Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, run by Parks Canada, to examine concerns over similar statues, and she suggested installing another statue, monument or plaque next to the one in question to represent Indigenous history and address the concerns.
A passer-by looks up at a statue of Egerton Ryerson outside Torontos Ryerson University on Thursday July 6, 2017. The downtown University is named for Egerton Ryerson, a pioneer of public education in Ontario. There is a push to change the Universitys name out of respect for residential school survivors. (Photo by Chris Young, The Canadian Press)
Thats something Torontos Ryerson University did in July, when it placed a plaque next to the statue of its namesake and founder, Egerton Ryerson. The school said this was done in response to the TRC Reports calls to action to point out the connection Ryersons founder has to the residential schools system. There have also been calls for Ryerson to change its name.
To me, this is as much as anything, a correction, a reinterpretation, Boswell says. Were in a period of challenge, and I think were going to have flashpoints like this.
Turpel-Lafond said she doesnt think Victorias move is an act of revenge, and said she thinks it was done through extensive consultation. While the idea of removing something from a space to illuminate a truth might sound contradictory, Turpel-Lafond said taking these statues down is actually about the re-emergence of histories that have been made invisible, and said that is part of reconciliation.
[Reconciliation] has to happen, Turpel-Lafond says. Its probably not going to be easy, and Im not saying the removal of a statue is all thats going on, but one can only step back and say if people didnt see this coming, then they obviously dont know anything about whats been going on for the last 50 years in Canada.
Havana (AFP) - Cuba's Catholic Church has called on the public to reject a plan to legalize gay marriage in the country's proposed new constitution, describing it as "ideological colonialism" imposed by rich countries.
Santiago de Cuba archbishop Dionisio Garcia called on Cubans not to "ignore what nature has given us" for fear of "regrettable consequences."
In an online message, the Episcopal Conference called on Cubans to look for "other legal ways" to protect homosexual unions.
"That should not be taken as an argument to change the definition of an institution of the natural order, such as marriage," the message added.
Spearheaded by Mariela Castro, the daughter of former president Raul Castro, the changes to the new constitution would include a provision that defines marriage as between "two people" rather than "a man and a woman."
Garcia said "these ideas" are alien to Cuban culture and stem from the "cultural imperialism" of powerful countries that use the effect of globalization "to create a uniform culture that accepts and adopts its criteria (while) disqualifying those of others."
He said rich countries were using their power to "influence less developed countries in need of economic aid."
Garcia's comments come after a group of five churches and evangelical denominations published a statement claiming that "marriage is exclusively the union between a man and a woman."
After the 1959 revolution, Cuba was a hostile place for the LGBT community, although in 2010 Fidel Castro did admit responsibility for "injustices" perpetrated against homosexuals.
And while employment discrimination based on sexual orientation was banned, same-sex civil unions remained off limits.
A new constitution to replace the 1976 version has been approved by parliament and submitted to public debate.
Some 8.5 million residents over the age of 16, as well as 1.4 Cubans living abroad, have been invited to take part in the discussions at universities and in workplaces, which will continue until November 15.
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The results will be presented to parliament in December with a referendum on whether or not to adopt the new constitution slated for February 24.
The new constitution would also recognize the role of market forces and private enterprise in the Communist island's economy.
But the church is hoping to have the provision recognizing same-sex marriage removed before the issue gets to referendum.
Dramatic CCTV footage has been released showing the moment a 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murdering a mother and daughter who were knifed to death in Solihull.
West Midlands Police said the man was detained in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham on Thursday evening in relation to the deaths of Raneem Oudeh, 22, and her mother Khaola Saleem, 49.
The pair were stabbed at Ms Saleems home in Northdown Road just after 12.30am on Bank Holiday Monday.
Victim Khaola Saleem (West Midlands Police)
Following the incident, police and Crimestoppers offered a 5,000 reward for information leading to the detention of Ms Oudehs ex-partner Janbaz Tarin.
Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield, who is leading the investigation, said: I would like to thank the community for their support over the last few days, the response to our appeals has been excellent and tonight resulted in this arrest.
The arrest is reported to have taken place on Ivor Road, with unverified video posted on social media appearing to show a man in a red jacket surrounded by officers.
Raneem Oudeh, 22. (West Midlands Police)
Police said the victims family had been updated on the development.
Three addresses were previously raided by police, including one in Sparkhill.
Computer equipment and mobile phones were seized and a van was undergoing forensic examination.
Police also took to social media about the arrest, announcing it on Twitter.
BREAKING: Officers searching for the suspect in the double murder in #Solihull have arrested a man in Sparkhill. Full details can be found here: https://t.co/33kMVn7A4d pic.twitter.com/wfiFJQP6Jq WMPBreaking (@WMPBreaking) August 31, 2018
Police also previously said the suspected murder weapon had been recovered.
Ms Oudeh had a two-year-old child though Mr Tarin is not the father and her mother had six children, with both victims originally from Syria.
The force has not released the name of the arrested man.
(CANBERRA, Australia) Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter Australia for a speaking tour scheduled to start Sunday, her tour organizer said on Thursday.
Think Inc. said received a notice of intention from the government to deny Manning entry. The group is calling on her supporters to lobby new Immigration Minister David Coleman to allow her into Australia.
Which after a little bit of research and speaking to our legal counsel, we understand is potentially an imminent refusal of her visa, Think Inc. director Suzi Jamil told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Manning was an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army when she leaked military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She served seven years of a 35-year sentence before then-President Barack Obama granted her clemency in 2017.
The transgender activist who recently lost a long-shot bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland is scheduled to speak at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday and has subsequent events in Australia and New Zealand.
The Department of Home Affairs said while it does not comment on individual cases, all non-citizens entering Australia must meet character requirements set out in the Migration Act. The reasons a person might fail the character test include a criminal record or a determination they might a risk to the community, according to the department.
Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said the government should be transparent about the reasons, if Manning is denied entry.
Amnesty International accused the government of trying to silence Manning. By refusing her entry, the Australian government would send a chilling message that freedom of speech is not valued by our government, Amnesty International national director Claire Mallinson said in a statement.
Lawyer Greg Barns, who has represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, said people with criminal records have been allowed into Australia in the past.
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He said no one would seriously suggest Manning was a risk to the Australian community.
Manning is also facing calls to be barred from New Zealand with the center-right National Party opposition urging the government to decline her visa request.
She was due to speak in the Australian city of Melbourne on Sept. 7, the New Zealand city of Auckland on Sept. 8, the New Zealand capital Wellington on Sept. 9 and the Australian city of Brisbane on Sept. 11.
Santiago (AFP) - Chile is home to four-fifths of South America's glaciers and has some of the largest ice fields in the world outside the polar regions, but they are coming under threat from mining industry dust.
Climatologist Fabrice Lambert from Chile's Catholic University believes that the country's 24,114 glaciers are in danger from mining activity, although the direct cause and effect are hard to establish.
"The dust generated by mining can settle on the glaciers, covering the white surface so the particles absorb solar energy that results in rapid glacial melting," Lambert told AFP.
It's a problem because "some glaciers in Chile are close to mines," he says.
Sara Larrain, director at the Sustainable Chile environmental NGO, says the country needs legislation like its neighbor Argentina to protect its glaciers, but says such proposals keep getting stonewalled by the powerful mining sector.
"Since 2005, there have been six or seven glacial protection projects presented to senators or deputies but every time they've been blocked by the mining sector," she said.
Joaquin Villarino, president of Chile's Mining Council, says such laws aren't necessary.
"More than 70 percent of mining activity takes place in areas where there are no glaciers," he said.
In any case, under current legislation "there is certain protection that prevents mining companies from damaging existing glaciers."
For Lambert, there's a happy medium to be struck somewhere.
"They're not going to close the mines within the next five years, but we need to find a way to protect the glaciers without destroying the mining industry, which is essential to the country's economy."
Chile's economy depends on mining. It's the world's biggest producer of copper with around 5.6 million tons, a third of global production.
- 'No glacial protection' -
Environmental law specialist Pilar Moraga says that Chile urgently needs a legal framework to specifically protect the glaciers.
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In 2014 a bill was introduced in Congress to ban certain dangerous industrial activities near the glaciers.
But the bill underwent several damaging modifications before it was finally ditched altogether by the government of right-wing President Sebastian Pinera in June.
The government says that existing rules aimed at protecting biodiversity and the country's national parks and reserves are ample enough.
But specialists complain that not all of Chile's glaciers are located in protected parks.
"In Chile, 86.4 percent of glaciers are in protected zones, but in the center and the north of the country, where water scarcity worsens every day, there's no protection for glaciers," said Lambert.
He added that "climatic projections" in those regions "predict a 30 percent decrease in rainfall over the next 50 years."
As glaciers are formed out of the compacting of accumulated snow, such a major reduction in rainfall would have a massive impact on the regeneration of glaciers that are reduced by meltwater during the summer.
Mining industry representatives deny they've put pressure on authorities and have praised the decision to block any further regulation.
"The government has made a responsible decision that carries a political cost. It's a well thought-out decision," Villarino told AFP.
All is not lost for environmentalists, though, as Minister for the Environment Marcela Cubillos announced two weeks ago the creation of regional committees of experts tasked with finding "an effective solution to protect glaciers."
However, legislators have blocked a pair of other bills aimed at preventing glacier water from being privately controlled, and declaring the glaciers "national treasures" to limit their use to activities linked to science and tourism.
Chris Evans, aka Captain America, brought his 67 Chevy Camaro onto Jay Lenos Garage. And it wasnt just any old 67 Camaro. No, this American steel came from Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr.
Downey, a huge car enthusiast, has owned everything from a BOSS 302 Mustang to a Mercedes Pagoda, not to mention all the Audi R8s he drives to the Marvel movie premieres.
As a gesture of friendship, Downey commissioned a Captain America-themed restomod 1967 Camaro for Evans. The Camaro drivetrain consists of a 6.2L small-block LS3 V8 376 cubic-inch engine, a four-speed automatic transmission, and a Whipple supercharger. This all combines to create about 750 horsepower.
Captain Americas shield doubles as a horn.
Evans isnt much of a car freak and admitted that the technical aspects might as well be Spanish to me. He also admitted that he had his suspicions about the gift while he and Downey were shooting an Avengers film, saying, He would start pointing at other cars in the street saying, Well, what do you think of that one? And in my head Im like, Is this, is this guy gonna give me a car?'
Downey did give him a car, and with 750 hp, Evans never has to worry about being late to an audition.
Jay Lenos Garage airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on CNBC.
Watch as Twitter calls out CBS for not protecting Big Brother contestant from sexual assault:
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MSNBCs Chuck Todd thinks all signs point to special counsel Robert Mueller making major moves on Friday.
President Donald Trump on Thursday called the inquiry into Russian meddling an illegal investigation.
This is the president feeling like theres a lot happening around him, the walls may be closing in on him, and I think hes lashing out, said Bloombergs Sahil Kapur on MSNBCs MTP Daily.
Republican strategist Brad Todd, however, said Mueller has a responsibility to know when hes gone past the time limit of when he has credibility with the public.
What time limit are we at? wondered Chuck Todd.
The MSNBC host said everyone whos worked with Mueller believes he would have ended the investigation already if there was no evidence of collusion.
He also said Mueller would keep quiet between Labor Day and Novembers midterm elections so as not to be accused of interfering politically.
Daniella Gibbs Leger of the Center for American Progress predicted Mueller would drop big news in January as a result.
But Chuck Todd said it could be a whole lot sooner.
Ill be honest with you: Im not missing work tomorrow, he said, referring to Friday, the last business day before Labor Day. I wouldnt miss work tomorrow.
He later added: Not to be totally cliche, but 5 oclock tomorrow is a big deadline, isnt it?
H/T Mediaite
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ISTANBUL (AP) A senior official in the Orthodox Church says "there's no going backwards" in granting Ukrainian clerics full ecclesiastic independence from the Russian Orthodox Church to which they have been tied to for hundreds of years.
However, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, who is part of a committee dealing with the Ukrainian question, told The Associated Press that the final step of the procedure has yet to be reached.
His comments came as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I welcomed Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in Istanbul on Friday.
Ukraine's president has launched a campaign to persuade Bartholomew, seen by many as the first among equals of Orthodox leaders, to accept Ukraine's request.
Ukrainian politicians see a declaration, known as a "Tomos of Autocephaly," as a key step in consolidating their country's national identity.
Russian religious leaders see it as an attack on Orthodox unity and are fighting to stop it.
"Today, the Ecumenical Patriarch repeated in person, in this meeting of the two primates, that the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is reached and we are not going backwards," Emmanuel said. "So we are following this decision, we are implementing the decision."
He added: "We have not reached the end of the procedure. The Tomos, which is the decision that is issued, is at the last stage of this implementation. But we have still some work to do and this is what the Ecumenical Patriarchate is coordinating."
Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported on a Russian digital espionage campaign targeting Bartholomew's top aides in the midst of the religious tussle between Kiev and Moscow over the religious future of Ukraine.
The AP found that the same hackers charged with intervening in the 2016 U.S. presidential election also spent years trying to eavesdrop on Bartholomew's entourage.
The granting of the "Tomos of Autocephaly" would be a momentous step, eroding the power and prestige of the Moscow Patriarchate, which has positioned itself as a leading player within the global Orthodox community.
Russia's Tass news agency, meanwhile, quoted Patriarch Kirill after the meeting with Bartholomew that "the organization of the Orthodox churches is such that not one church can make a decision that contradicts the position of the other churches. Therefore we are simply programmed for cooperation."
London (AFP) - Coca-Cola on Friday said it had agreed to buy global coffee chain Costa from its UK owner Whitbread for 3.9 billion ($5.1 billion).
"Hot beverages is one of the few remaining segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. Costa gives us access to this market through a strong coffee platform," Coca-Cola chief executive James Quincey said in a joint statement.
The deal comes amid eroding consumer demand for conventional carbonated drinks owing to health and obesity concerns in the US and other markets.
Earlier in August, Coca-Cola's fierce rival PepsiCo struck a deal to buy Israeli company SodaStream for $3.2 billion -- in a pitch to consumers concerned also about mounting waste from soda cans and plastics in landfills worldwide.
SodaStream makes machines that carbonate home tap water.
Meanwhile following pressure from activist shareholders, Whitbread announced in April that it would spin off Costa, leaving it to concentrate on its hotel chain Premier Inn.
Whitbread was forced to act after US group Elliott became its biggest shareholder with a six percent stake.
"The announcement today represents a substantial premium to the value that would have been created through the demerger of the business and we expect to return a significant majority of net proceeds to shareholders," Whitbread chief executive Alison Brittain said in the statement.
"Whitbread will also reduce debt and make a contribution to its pension fund, which will provide additional headroom for the expansion of Premier Inn."
Whitbread bought Costa in 1995 from founders Sergio and Bruno Costa and presently runs about 2,400 stores in the UK and some 1,400 around the world.
Costa also operates more than 8,000 Costa Express self-serve machines in eight countries, as well as placing its products in supermarkets.
Premier Inn has 785 hotels in the UK and a sprinkling of others in Germany and the Middle East.
Bogota (AFP) - Thirteen former directors of the big US-Swiss banana producer Chiquita Brands will face trial in Colombia on charges of financing right-wing paramilitary groups during the country's armed conflict, prosecutors announced Friday.
Attorney General Nestor Humberto Martinez said the accused included both Colombians and foreigners implicated in financing irregular armed groups in the northwestern region of Uraba, Antioquia.
A statement from prosecutors said the 13 -- eight Colombians, three US citizens, a Costa Rican and a Honduran -- would face charges of aggravated criminal association.
In 2007, lawyers for Chiquita Brands entered a guilty plea in a US court to having financed the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, once the largest paramilitary organization in the country.
The firm was fined $25 million after acknowledging that it had paid the paramilitaries some $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 in exchange for protection of its workers.
The group's long and bloody struggle against leftist guerrillas was marked by multiple human-rights violations.
Some 20,000 militia members demobilized between 2003 and 2006, under the Alvaro Uribe government.
In 2017, Colombia's Office of the public prosecutor declared that the financing of paramilitaries by banana executives amounted to a crime against humanity -- eliminating any statute of limitations.
Bogota (AFP) - Colombia President Ivan Duque reiterated on Thursday his call for ELN Marxist rebels to release hostages as a prerequisite to restarting suspended Cuban-hosted peace talks.
Duque said he would only speak to the guerrillas if they "suspend all criminal activities" and agree to "demobilize, disarm and reinsert" into civilian life.
But the starting point for that is "the liberation of hostages."
"We cannot legitimize violence as a mechanism to put pressure on the state," said Duque during a press conference with Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The ELN, the last recognized rebel group fighting government forces since the 2016 peace accord with FARC guerrillas, said two weeks ago it was prepared to release the nine hostages: four military, three police, and two civilian contractors.
But since then they have failed to agree with the government on the security protocols to carry out the handover.
Peace talks have been on hold since August 1 after Duque's predecessor Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat in his bid to agree a disarmament plan with the ELN before his mandate came to an end.
The nine hostages were captured after those talks concluded.
Duque has promised a more hardline approach to the ELN and after his inauguration he said he would take a month to decide whether or not to resume rebel talks.
"These 30 days expire on September 7," said Duque. "We've analyzed it and have seen worrying acts of violence.
"Kidnappings, extortion, terrorist attacks, which obviously demonstrates everything but a genuine desire for peace."
The ELN, or National Liberation Army, has around 1,500 guerrillas and an extensive support network.
Ottawa (Canada) (AFP) - A Canadian court on Thursday quashed the government's approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline to the Pacific, siding with indigenous people worried that increased tanker traffic will harm whales along the coast.
The ruling was cheered by opponents of the nation's largest resource project in decades, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration suggested it had been dealt a temporary setback and vowed to carry on.
In its decision, the Federal Court of Appeal said Ottawa -- which is expected to close a deal on Friday to buy the pipeline from Kinder Morgan for Can$4.5 billion (US$3.5 billion) -- must take a second look at the project, taking greater care to consult with indigenous tribes and consider marine traffic impacts.
"We are absolutely committed to moving forward with this project," Finance Minister Bill Morneau told a press conference in Toronto.
"We want to make sure the project proceeds, but we want to make sure it moves ahead in the right way," he added, explaining that the government would review the ruling to see how it can address environmental and indigenous concerns.
The 1,150-kilometer (715-mile) pipeline was to move 890,000 barrels of oil a day from landlocked Alberta province to the Pacific coast for export overseas, replacing a smaller crumbling conduit built in 1953.
Trudeau took a political gamble when his government approved the project in 2016 after an environmental review, saying it was in the "national interest" as it would help ease Canada's reliance on the US market, and get a better price for its crude oil.
A slim majority of Canadians support the pipeline's construction, according to recent polling.
But it has continued to face stiff opposition from environmentalist activists -- who once supported Trudeau's rise to power -- and indigenous tribes concerned that increased shipping from a marine terminal at the end of the route in Vancouver will impede the recovery of killer whale populations in the area.
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Greenpeace and others called the court's decision a "major victory" for indigenous rights and efforts to curtail global warming.
"They can say they consulted, but they never, ever, ever got our consent," said Lee Spahan, chief of the Coldwater First Nation, which led the legal challenge.
For others on both sides of the issue the decision was confirmation that the regulatory process for approving major resource projects in Canada is "flawed."
- 'Broken regulatory system' -
"This decision is yet another example of how Canada's broken regulatory system is undermining Canadian competitiveness and driving away investment," commented Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
The court concluded that the National Energy Board made a "critical error" in not considering marine shipping impacts, leading to "unacceptable deficiencies" in its recommendations to the government to greenlight the project.
It also said the government failed in its constitutional duty to "engage, dialogue meaningfully and grapple with the real concerns of the indigenous applicants so as to explore possible accommodation of those concerns."
At the same time the decision was posted, Kinder Morgan shareholders voted overwhelmingly (99.9 percent) at a meeting in Calgary, Alberta to approve the pipeline's sale to the federal government.
The company temporarily halted construction earlier this year, saying it was concerned that feuding between the governments of Alberta and British Columbia, which sided with environmental groups fiercely opposed to the project, created undue political risks.
That prompted Ottawa's offer to take it over, effectively nationalizing the pipeline in a bid to bring a swift end to legal challenges and illegal protests at construction sites.
Morneau said it also aimed to reassure foreign investors, and advance Canada's climate goals.
Currently 99 percent of Canada's oil is sold to the United States at a discount, and access to the Pacific coast is seen as key to diversifying the world's sixth largest oil producer's energy exports.
Access to new oil markets is also key to Canada meeting its Paris climate target because Alberta -- the nation's single largest pollution emitter -- agreed to take action against carbon emissions only if it gained access to new markets for its oil.
Opponents of the GOP are calling for an In-N-Out boycott after the burger chain donated thousands to the California Republican Party.
According to a public filing on the California Secretary of States website, the fast food corporation gave $25,000 to the states Republican Party on Tuesday. However, the news of the donation didnt start to go viral until the filing was tweeted out by Washington, D.C.-based reporter Gabe Schneider the next day.
In-N-Out added a new item to their secret menu, he wrote.
In-N-Out added a new item to their secret menu. https://t.co/VtaCOuiNRp pic.twitter.com/tCRYqFGDEB Gabe Schneider ???? (@gabemschneider) August 29, 2018
Following Schneiders post, some angry customers began calling for a boycott of In-N-Out. I hate that In-N-Out has probably donated to the Republican Party before now, and I gave them my business, one Twitter user wrote. They are my #1 favorite. No more, though.
I hate that In-N-Out has probably donated to the Republican Party before now and I gave them my business. They are my #1 favorite. No more, though. #BoycottInNOut Mother Resister ??????????? (@MotherResister) August 30, 2018
But others werent quite ready to give up their double-doubles and animal style fries.
Sorry I will never #BoycottInNOut I dont care who they donate to. Chick Fill A sucks so I dont care but I wont go along with this one.
Of course they like the CA GOP, they proselytize on all their food with hidden bible versus. I can live with that. https://t.co/gycCs12Xlf Dragonfly?On?Deck (@IDoTheThinking) August 30, 2018
See some of the reactions below.
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Five Guys it is, then. https://t.co/JuhbiphOHg Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) August 30, 2018
People should #BoycottInNOut because it's overrated, not because it supports Republicans, which it has since, oh, forever. GustavoArellano (@GustavoArellano) August 30, 2018
In-n-Out Burger is financing the Republican Party. Time for a boycott. #boycottinnout William Schindler (@BrotherWm108) August 30, 2018
In-N-out burgers even with lettuce are really made by Republican donors. Time to boycott. https://t.co/zsE3ZLK3s2 Carolyn B Cochrane (@CarolynBCwrites) August 29, 2018
I guess I wont be having any more #InNOut Burgers. https://t.co/GCmq0wTKES Karoli (@Karoli) August 30, 2018
Multiple domestic violence charges stemming from an incident in Las Vegas earlier this year against MMA fighter Nick Diaz were dismissed on Thursday. (Getty Images)
The domestic violence charges stemming from an incident in Las Vegas earlier this year against UFC fighter Nick Diaz were dismissed on Thursday, according to MMAFighting.com.
The Clark County district attorney declined to pursue the case against Diaz, and a judge dismissed the case with prejudice on Thursday morning meaning it has been permanently dismissed.
Throughout this ordeal [the alleged victim] has given multiple inconsistent versions of what occurred and recently testified before the Grand Jury to a third version, Diazs attorney Ross Goodman said in a statement. Further, the medical records made clear that [the alleged victim] did not suffer any fractures, subluxation of dislocation, soft tissue damage or any substantial bodily injuries expected from such allegations.
The videos she posted prior to this incident clearly shows someone who is motivated by revenge because Nick was seeing other women. Truth delayed is better than no truth at all and I trust that the ultimate dismissal of all charges with prejudice will be viewed as total vindication for Nick and clears his name from being associated with such horrific but false allegations.
Diaz was arrested in May after he allegedly threw a woman to the ground and choked her during an argument at a Las Vegas home. Diaz was reportedly combative with officers during his arrest, and the woman told police that he had been using cocaine.
The 34-year-old was charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery. Prosecution added two more charges in July battery constituting domestic violence by strangulation and battery domestic violence resulting in substantial bodily harm.
Diaz thanked his fans who stuck with him throughout the ordeal shortly after the case was dismissed:
Diaz last fought in January 2015 when he beat Anderson Silva via unanimous decision at UFC 183. The decision, however, was overturned and changed to a no contest after both Diaz and Silva failed drug tests. Diaz, who holds a 26-10 career record, came off a 12-month suspension in April after failing to appear for three drug tests. He has not yet announced a return to the UFC.
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Kotey and Elsheikh (AP)
Two notorious British jihadists who are accused of belonging to the ISIS cell dubbed The Beatles could be extradited to Guantanamo Bay.
Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are currently being held by Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
The Londoners were captured allegedly fighting alongside Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, and filmed in several videos beheading Western prisoners, including two Britons, David Haines and Alan Henning.
He was also filmed killing other captives, including Syrian soldiers.
Jihadi John (SITE)
The ISIS British members were part of a four-man cell and earned their nickname because of their accents.
Since being captured it is been unclear what will happen to the pair.
Kotey, 33, and Elsheikh, 30, have had their British citizenship revoked for joining ISIS, which has left them effectively stateless.
Donald Trump is considering sending the pair to Guantanamo (Rex)
The British government has stated that it does not want the pair back.
As high value ISIS prisoners their fate could now be determined by the US and Donald Trump.
According to NBC, the State Department has refused to confirm or deny whether or not the men are destined for Guantanamo.
Alternatively they could be tried through a federal court and ultimately detained in a high-security prison.
The pair could end up in Guantanamo (AFP)
The pair admit being members of ISIS but deny killing anyone.
The Trump administration could also sending hundreds of other captured Isis fighters to an Iraqi prison after other countries refused to accept them.
Jihadi John was killed in a 2015 drone strike.
Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) - The main separatist leader in eastern Ukraine was killed in a bombing at a cafe in the centre of rebel hub Donetsk on Friday, becoming the most prominent victim from the Moscow-backed side in the four-year conflict.
Russia swiftly blamed Ukraine for the killing of businessman-turned-warlord Alexander Zakharchenko, who is the highest level victim in a series of killings of separatist politicians and commanders since the conflict began in 2014.
"The head of the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic), Alexander Zakharchenko, has died as the result of a terrorist attack today," Zakharchenko's spokeswoman Alena Volynets told AFP.
The official website of the DNR said an explosion went off in the "Separ" cafe at 1430 GMT, which it said injured three others.
An AFP journalist at the scene said police had cordoned off the block where the blast occurred.
Zakharchenko, 42, who commanded rebels fighting Ukrainian government forces in the mining and industrial town of Donetsk, was elected first president of the unrecognised republic in 2014.
He said at the time his ambition was to build "a new state".
A "deputy chairman of the government" Dmitry Trapeznikov has been appointed acting head of the self-proclaimed republic during an emergency meeting, the separatist news agency reported.
Separatist forces were put on alert as the DNR authorities launched a special operation aimed at finding those responsible for the blast that has also left three people wounded including one high-ranking rebel official.
- Mutual accusations -
Moscow and the rebel regions blame the murders on Kiev, which counters that the crimes are tied to internal strife and Russia's desire to control the territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to Zakharchenko's family and friends.
In a letter published on the Kremlin website, Putin said the separatist leader was "a true people's leader, a brave and resolute man... in a difficult time for his homeland, he stood up in its defence, assumed a huge personal responsibility, and led the people".
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Putin said he expected to see the killers brought to justice.
DNR official Denis Pushilin said Kiev was behind Zakharchenko's death, in comments carried by the separatist news agency.
"This is a further aggression from the Ukraine side... Donetsk will avenge this crime," he said.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman also said that it is likely that "the Kiev regime is behind the murder," Russian news agencies reported.
Ukrainian security service (SBU) however blamed the killing on rival separatists or Moscow. "Zakharchenko's death could be the result of internal conflicts among the fighters," SBU official Igor Guskov told Ukraine's 112 channel.
More than 10,000 people have been killed since the rebel insurgency broke out in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions in April 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border.
Moscow has denied the allegations despite evidence it has been involved in the fighting and gives open political support to the rebels.
Among other leading figures who have been killed outside the battlefield are commanders Mikhail Tolstykh, Alexei Mozgovoy, Alexander Bednov and Arsen Pavlov.
Last year, the chief of police of the so-called Lugansk People's Republic Oleg Anashchenko was killed when his car blew up in Lugansk.
Elon Musk brushed off a stinging attack on Friday from Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist who described the Tesla CEO as a man-child. Bannon criticized Musk for his handling of a plan to take the electric car firm private, as part of a wide-ranging interview where he also slammed the executives of other major technology firms.
Tesla is out of control, Bannon told CNN on Friday. The board of directors have no control over the CEO. The CEO essentially lies. He flat out lied about securing fundinghe then has an emotional breakdown with the New York Times. This is the level of maturity you have with these peoplethey are all man-childs. How can they have this unlimited power. Its outrageous.
Musk seemed unfazed by Bannons criticism:
Can Steve Bannon please insult me some more? Best PR Ive had in a while. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 31, 2018
Musk has faced criticism in recent weeks for his announcement earlier in the month to take Tesla off the stock exchange, declaring on Twitter that the funding was secured. It later transpired that Musk had left a meeting with Saudi Arabias private investment fund that there was no question a deal could be struck, leading analysts with JPMorgan and others to question the handling of the process. Last week, Musk reversed course and announced he would no longer take the firm private, after speaking with investors about the issue.
In the same CNN interview, Bannon described Facebook, Twitter and Google as companies run by sociopathsThese people are complete narcissists. These people ought to be controlled, they ought to be regulated. He later said that these people are evil. There is no doubt about that.
Musk and Bannon were spotted together a number of times in the early days of the President Donald Trump administration. Musk accepted roles on Trumps advisory committees prior to his 2017 inauguration, and on January 6 of that year he was spotted at Trump Tower for a meeting with Bannon. The CEO was spotted chatting with Bannon again the following month. Bannons media outlet Breitbart regularly criticized Tesla over the years, slamming the company on reliability and profitability, but its unclear if Musk raised Breitbarts earlier headlines with Bannon during their meetings. Musk withdrew from the committees in July 2017 over Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Bannon himself left the White House the following month.
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While Musk has not enjoyed the best publicity in recent weeks, returning to an accusation against a British cave diver after abandoning his plan to take Tesla private, respondents to the CNN story gave little support to Bannon:
I will take the immature man-child @elonmusk who is trying to improve life on 2.5 planets (@Tesla on Earth, @SpaceX on #Mars & the Moon is a bonus) than @SteveKBannon who is trying to ruin life upon the homeworld. https://t.co/bczJrNov8F Darnell Clayton (@Darnell) August 31, 2018
Photos via Flickr / Gage Skidmore
More From Inverse
Its been 17 years since Eminem pushed back against accusations of homophobia by performing a duet to Stan with Elton John at the 2001 Grammys. The two men have since enjoyed a close friendship, with the openly gay John saying in a 2017 interview that the rappers lyrics were never homophobic and didnt represent his actual attitude toward the LGBTQ community.
Eminem used a gay slur on his new album. (Photo: C. Flanigan/WireImage)
And yet Just hours after the surprise release of his latest album, Kamikaze, Eminem is getting heat from listeners offended by his use of a gay slur to describe fellow musician Tyler, the Creator. The 27-year-old rapper (real name: Tyler Okonma) has been the subject of speculation about his sexuality, but has himself been unapologetic about using homophobic references in his lyrics.
Well, I have gay fans and they dont really take it offensive, so I dont know, Tyler, the Creator told MTV in 2011 of the backlash surrounding his lyrics. If it offends you, it offends you. If you call me a na, I really dont care, but thats just me, personally. Some people might take it the other way; I personally dont give a sh.
Eminems target, Tyler, the Creator, has also used homophobic slurs in his lyrics. (Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
But many people do, and theyre not happy with this homophobic lyric on the new Eminem track Fall.
Tyler create nothing, I see why you called yourself a f*****, bitch / Its not just cause you lack attention / Its cause you worship D12s balls, youre sac-religious.
Eminem is too damn old to be calling people faggot on an album it just sounds like hes mad this particular faggot showed up late to book club Ira (@ira) August 31, 2018
Yes, Tyler called himself this word before BUT our dear Eminem doesnt have the right to not only use the word in a rap BUT ALSO extend the homophobia by being like: yeah youre gay bc you love balls No. Nope. Never. Zach Stafford (@ZachStafford) August 31, 2018
Eminem called Tyler The Creator a faggot so if y'all don't cancel him, y'all some frauds lmaooooooo Mike Jackson (@MikeDeeJackson) August 31, 2018
Eminem should be cancelled for saying faggot since he is straight in the same way yall would cancel him for saying the N-word because hes white but it wont happen because 1) youre an Eminem fan 2) Rap culture is choosey when it comes to defending marginalized groups of people ken (@thekennedib) August 31, 2018
Eminem was my hero on this album until he made fun of Tyler for being gay. His bar was so lame it wasnt even offensive, just sad, he didnt even have the balls to go through with it, he had to bleep out faggot. Jacob (@jriles123) August 31, 2018
wow Eminem rlly out here saying "faggot" with his whole pasty ass chest in 2018 fine china (@matcha_brat) August 31, 2018
WAIT DID EMINEM ACTUALLY USE THE HOMOPHOBIC SLUR IN HIS ALBUM? AGAINST TYLER THE CREATOR? IN 2018? if bein wong's a crime, i'm servin forever (@allmydads) August 31, 2018
He called someone a faggot on that same song, Kathy. Daniel (@sillyolddaniel) August 31, 2018
Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon has also caught flak for the lyric, because he appears on Fall.
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Can't even say I'm surprised that Eminem is still using homophobic slurs in 2018 bc he's a fucking child but Justin Vernon, what the hell are you doing on the track man. pic.twitter.com/z2ySJBNF85 Roisin O'Connor (@Roisin_OConnor) August 31, 2018
Justin Vernon having vocals on an Eminem track that directly disses lgbt people AND Tyler, the creator through the fucking f word is the top anime betrayal of the year 2018 and years to come. I'll Still Pestroiu (@sleepwelllbeast) August 31, 2018
Some have argued that the lyric isnt offensive because Tyler, the Creator has used the word in the past, while others insist that that is irrelevant. The rapper has yet to publicly respond to the controversy.
In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Eminem defending using the slur following fallout over its inclusion in tracks like Rap God. The Michigan-bred rapper claimed that the insult was generic rather than a reference to sexuality.
It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or a**hole, he said of the Detroit rap scene. So that word was just thrown around so freely back then. It goes back to that battle, back and forth in my head, of wanting to feel free to say what I want to say, and then [worrying about] what may or may not affect people.
Not saying its wrong or its right, but at this point in my career man, I say so much shit thats tongue-in-cheek. I poke fun at other people, myself. But the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender, at all. Im glad we live in a time where its really starting to feel like people can live their lives and express themselves. And I dont know how else to say this, I still look at myself the same way that I did when I was battling and broke.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
By Poppy McPherson YANGON (Reuters) - The grainy black-and-white photo, printed in a new book on the Rohingya crisis authored by Myanmar's army, shows a man standing over two bodies, wielding a farming tool. "Bengalis killed local ethnics brutally", reads the caption. The photo appears in a section of the book covering ethnic riots in Myanmar in the 1940s. The text says the image shows Buddhists murdered by Rohingya - members of a Muslim minority the book refers to as "Bengalis" to imply they are illegal immigrants. But a Reuters examination of the photograph shows it was actually taken during Bangladesh's 1971 independence war, when hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis were killed by Pakistani troops. It is one of three images that appear in the book, published in July by the army's department of public relations and psychological warfare, that have been misrepresented as archival pictures from the western state of Rakhine. In fact, Reuters found that two of the photos originally were taken in Bangladesh and Tanzania. A third was falsely labeled as depicting Rohingya entering Myanmar from Bangladesh, when in reality it showed migrants leaving the country. Government spokesman Zaw Htay and a military spokesman could not be reached for comment on the authenticity of the images. U Myo Myint Maung, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Information, declined to comment, saying he had not read the book. The 117-page "Myanmar Politics and the Tatmadaw: Part I" relates the army's narrative of August last year, when some 700,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine to Bangladesh, according to United Nations agencies, triggering reports of mass killings, rape, and arson. Tatmadaw is the official name of Myanmar's military. Much of the content is sourced to the military's "True News" information unit, which since the start of the crisis has distributed news giving the army's perspective, mostly via Facebook. The book is on sale at bookstores across the commercial capital of Yangon. A member of staff at Innwa, one of the biggest bookshops in the city, said the 50 copies the store ordered had sold out, but there was no plan to order more. "Not many people came looking for it," said the bookseller, who declined to be named. On Monday, Facebook banned the army chief and other military officials accused of using the platform to "inflame ethnic and religious tensions". The same day, U.N investigators accused Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of overseeing a campaign with "genocidal intent" and recommended he and other senior officials be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. In its new book, the military denies the allegations of abuses, blaming the violence on "Bengali terrorists" it says were intent on carving out a Rohingya state named "Arkistan". Attacks by Rohingya militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the military's crackdown in August 2017 in Rakhine state, in which the U.N. investigators say 10,000 people may have been killed. The group denies it has separatist aims. The book also seeks to trace the history of the Rohingya - who regard themselves as native to western Myanmar - casting them as interlopers from Bangladesh. In the introduction to the book the writer, listed as Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Oo, says the text was compiled using "documentary photos" with the aim of "revealing the history of Bengalis". "It can be found that whenever a political change or an ethnic armed conflict occurred in Myanmar those Bengalis take it as an opportunity," the book reads, arguing that Muslims took advantage of the uncertainty of Myanmar's nascent democratic transition to ignite "religious clashes". Reuters was unable to contact Kyaw Kyaw Oo for comment. Reuters examined some of the photographs using Google Reverse Image Search and TinEye, tools commonly used by news organizations and others to identify images that have previously appeared online. Checks were then made with the previously credited publishers to establish the origins of those images. Of the 80 images in the book, most were recent pictures of army chief Min Aung Hlaing meeting foreign dignitaries or local officials visiting Rakhine. Several were screengrabs from videos posted by Rohingya militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Of eight photos presented as historical images, Reuters found the provenance of three to be faked and was unable to determine the provenance of the five others. One faded black-and-white image shows a crowd of men who appear to be on a long march with their backs bent over. "Bengalis intruded into the country after the British Colonialism occupied the lower part of Myanmar," the caption reads. The photo is apparently intended to depict Rohingya arriving in Myanmar during the colonial era, which ended in 1948. Reuters determined the picture is in fact a distorted version of a color image taken in 1996 of refugees who had fled the genocide in Rwanda. The photographer, Martha Rial, working for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, won the Pulitzer Prize. "While it is always disappointing to see your work misrepresented, I am not surprised," said Rial in an email. "It has been used in propaganda before and, sadly, it will probably happen again." Sally Stapleton, the paper's managing editor, deferred questions about the use of its photo to Rial. Another picture, also printed in black-and-white, shows men aboard a rickety boat. "Bengalis entered Myanmar via the watercourse," the caption reads. Actually, the original photo depicts Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants leaving Myanmar in 2015, when tens of thousands fled for Thailand and Malaysia. The original has been rotated and blurred so the photo looks grainy. It was sourced from Myanmar's own Ministry of Information. (Reporting by Poppy Elena McPherson; Additional reporting by Sam Aung Moon; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Poppy McPherson YANGON (Reuters) - The grainy black-and-white photo, printed in a new book on the Rohingya crisis authored by Myanmar's army, shows a man standing over two bodies, wielding a farming tool. "Bengalis killed local ethnics brutally", reads the caption. The photo appears in a section of the book covering ethnic riots in Myanmar in the 1940s. The text says the image shows Buddhists murdered by Rohingya - members of a Muslim minority the book refers to as "Bengalis" to imply they are illegal immigrants. But a Reuters examination of the photograph shows it was actually taken during Bangladesh's 1971 independence war, when hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis were killed by Pakistani troops. It is one of three images that appear in the book, published in July by the army's department of public relations and psychological warfare, that have been misrepresented as archival pictures from the western state of Rakhine. In fact, Reuters found that two of the photos originally were taken in Bangladesh and Tanzania. A third was falsely labeled as depicting Rohingya entering Myanmar from Bangladesh, when in reality it showed migrants leaving the country. Government spokesman Zaw Htay and a military spokesman could not be reached for comment on the authenticity of the images. U Myo Myint Maung, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Information, declined to comment, saying he had not read the book. The 117-page "Myanmar Politics and the Tatmadaw: Part I" relates the army's narrative of August last year, when some 700,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine to Bangladesh, according to United Nations agencies, triggering reports of mass killings, rape, and arson. Tatmadaw is the official name of Myanmar's military. Much of the content is sourced to the military's "True News" information unit, which since the start of the crisis has distributed news giving the army's perspective, mostly via Facebook. The book is on sale at bookstores across the commercial capital of Yangon. A member of staff at Innwa, one of the biggest bookshops in the city, said the 50 copies the store ordered had sold out, but there was no plan to order more. "Not many people came looking for it," said the bookseller, who declined to be named. On Monday, Facebook banned the army chief and other military officials accused of using the platform to "inflame ethnic and religious tensions". The same day, U.N investigators accused Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of overseeing a campaign with "genocidal intent" and recommended he and other senior officials be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. In its new book, the military denies the allegations of abuses, blaming the violence on "Bengali terrorists" it says were intent on carving out a Rohingya state named "Arkistan". Attacks by Rohingya militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the military's crackdown in August 2017 in Rakhine state, in which the U.N. investigators say 10,000 people may have been killed. The group denies it has separatist aims. The book also seeks to trace the history of the Rohingya - who regard themselves as native to western Myanmar - casting them as interlopers from Bangladesh. In the introduction to the book the writer, listed as Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Oo, says the text was compiled using "documentary photos" with the aim of "revealing the history of Bengalis". "It can be found that whenever a political change or an ethnic armed conflict occurred in Myanmar those Bengalis take it as an opportunity," the book reads, arguing that Muslims took advantage of the uncertainty of Myanmar's nascent democratic transition to ignite "religious clashes". Reuters was unable to contact Kyaw Kyaw Oo for comment. Reuters examined some of the photographs using Google Reverse Image Search and TinEye, tools commonly used by news organizations and others to identify images that have previously appeared online. Checks were then made with the previously credited publishers to establish the origins of those images. Of the 80 images in the book, most were recent pictures of army chief Min Aung Hlaing meeting foreign dignitaries or local officials visiting Rakhine. Several were screengrabs from videos posted by Rohingya militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Of eight photos presented as historical images, Reuters found the provenance of three to be faked and was unable to determine the provenance of the five others. One faded black-and-white image shows a crowd of men who appear to be on a long march with their backs bent over. "Bengalis intruded into the country after the British Colonialism occupied the lower part of Myanmar," the caption reads. The photo is apparently intended to depict Rohingya arriving in Myanmar during the colonial era, which ended in 1948. Reuters determined the picture is in fact a distorted version of a color image taken in 1996 of refugees fleeing the genocide in Rwanda. The photographer, Martha Rial, working for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, won the Pulitzer Prize. The newspaper did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the use of its photo. Another picture, also printed in black-and-white, shows men aboard a rickety boat. "Bengalis entered Myanmar via the watercourse," the caption reads. Actually, the original photo depicts Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants leaving Myanmar in 2015, when tens of thousands fled for Thailand and Malaysia. The original has been rotated and blurred so the photo looks granular. It was sourced from Myanmar's own Ministry of Information. (Reporting by Poppy Elena McPherson; Additional reporting by Sam Aung Moon; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By David Shepardson and Ana Isabel Martinez
WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The agreements struck between the United States and Mexico on trade would allow President Donald Trump to impose punitive "national security" tariffs of up to 25 percent on imports of Mexican-made cars, sport utility vehicles and auto parts above certain volumes, auto executives and other sources said.
The United States and Mexico agreed on Monday to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), pressuring Canada to accept new auto trade and dispute settlement rules to remain part of the three-way pact.
A previously unreported side agreement between the two countries would allow the United States to pursue national security tariffs on annual Mexican car and SUV imports of over 2.4 million vehicles, a number that significantly exceeds last year's total imports. The side deal would allow national security levies on auto parts imports above a value of $90 billion per year on the same grounds.
Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Wednesday the "side letter" protected Mexico's auto industry and gave it scope to grow before facing any potential national security tariffs.
The Trump administration in the coming weeks aims to announce the results of a probe into whether imports of autos and parts pose a national security risk.
The study could be used to justify 25 percent U.S. tariffs on automotive imports from North America, Asia and Europe on the premise that protecting the U.S. auto industry is vital to national security under a Cold War-era trade law.
Automakers are concerned that the agreement signals the United States might well use national security tariffs to win concessions from the European Union and Japan as well. They have said the tariffs could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and dramatically raise vehicle prices.
A separate side agreement lays out a possible scenario in which the United States increases its normal "most-favoured nation" tariffs on autos, currently 2.5 percent. A potential new, unspecified rate would be applied to vehicles that do not meet the existing or revamped NAFTA.
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MEXICAN EXPORT CAP
Mexico reserves the right to challenge the U.S. use of "national security" tariffs at the World Trade Organization, people briefed on the talks said.
Exports of cars and SUVs from Mexico would face a 25 percent U.S. tariff if they exceed 2.4 million vehicles and the United States imposes the national security tariffs, the sources said. Below the cap, vehicles that comply with new, tougher regional content requirements could enter the U.S. duty-free.
Vehicles within the cap that fail to comply with the new, tougher content rules would be subject to a 2.5 percent tariff, the sources said.
In 2017, nearly 1.8 million cars and SUVs were exported from Mexico to the United States.
The sources did not want to be identified because the details of the agreement have not been officially released.
U.S. officials have said the agreement is aimed at pulling more auto industry jobs into the United States and Mexico. Terms of the deal are not final, and could change depending on the outcome of negotiations between the United States and Canada, as well as other factors.
Duty-free auto parts exports from Mexico to the United States could be capped at $90 billion a year under the agreement, said Ann Wilson, senior vice president of government affairs at the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association.
The figure exceeds current levels, but parts shipments above that quota could be subject to 232 tariffs, Wilson said.
Mexican pickup trucks that do not comply with regional content quotas already pay a 25 percent duty. It was not clear whether they could also be subject to an additional quota.
Economy Minister Guajardo said imposing 232 tariffs would be "massively criticized" inside the United States, but that just in case, Mexico had protected its current U.S. export capacity with the "side letter" that also allowed room for growth.
"On top of that (current export capacity) we put in an additional 40 percent of growth," he told Mexican radio.
Moises Kalach, head of the international negotiating arm of Mexico's CCE business lobby, said Mexico had a "fall-back plan" if the 232 tariff was imposed. "But there's also the possibility that Mexico is exempted from the 232," Kalach told Reuters.
It is not clear how the quotas would be counted or administered.
The deal also sets quotas for carmakers' use of U.S.-made steel and aluminium, the sources said. Vehicle components would be subject to regional content quotas at different levels, depending on the type of part or system. Engines and transmissions, the highest-value systems in a vehicle, would have a 75 percent regional content quota, the sources said.
A United States Trade Representative spokeswoman declined to confirm or comment.
The tariff mechanism in the preliminary U.S.-Mexico accord would likely change little for Detroit automakers such as General Motors Co